To Really Know Someone
by ncpfan
Summary: They all labeled Naruto, whether as village pariah or village hero.  Kurenai was no exception at first, but a few years after the 4th Shinobi War, she begins to see...and love...the real Naruto.  Rating raised to M for references to Zetsu's cannibalism.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

Kurenai Yuhi had had the reputation as the "Ice Queen of the Hidden Leaf" for almost 20 years now. Regarded as cold, aloof and standoffish to most, she radiated a "mystery woman" aura to those who did not know her well, or who could not see through the mask she wore that gave her the "Ice Queen" moniker. In the last three and a half years, however, she had become much colder and more distant, and what was once a mask had started to become her true personality.

Before, even when she wore the mask, one could see the warmth that was her true nature in her eyes if they looked closely enough. Ever since the war, though, the warmth had vanished, leaving eyes that were cold. It hadn't happened right away; but the loss of her lover Asuma, and her miscarriage, combined with the pressures of fighting on the front lines in the Fourth Great Shinobi War, which had by far been the most brutal, devastating and horrific conflict in the Elemental Nations to date; all of these things together had seemingly broken her heart. Life itself seemed to be fogged over in a grayish haze for Kurenai these days; it was bland; the emotions that she did feel simply weren't that rich, in either a good or a bad way: sadness was simply a sigh, happiness didn't seem to come, and anger was nothing more than a rolling of the eyes and a focus of her attention onto something else. Her heart simply didn't feel that much…except on this day.

It was January 4th, the anniversary of Asuma Sarutobi's death. Kurenai always found this day to be very hard; even though it had been four years since he had been killed by Hidan of Akatsuki, she still couldn't completely let go or move on. Reminded not only of Asuma, but also of the child that she had miscarried during Pein's attack before Naruto had gotten there to fight him off, this was always the worst day of the year for her…and yet, she couldn't bring herself to do anything except immerse herself in thoughts and memories of her lost love, and grieve over her lost child. In a way, she was grateful for this ritual and day: even though the feelings were largely negative, she was thankful that she could actually feel something…anything at all, even if it was nothing but grief, hurt and sadness.

She was on her way to the cemetery to visit Asuma's gravesite, having just bought a fresh bouquet of flowers from the Yamanaka Flower Shop. While there, she and Ino didn't say much to each other; Ino understood what significance today held for Kurenai. Ino herself was always a bit melancholy on this day of the year as well. Even though she had been able to mourn properly and move forward, she still missed her old sensei. Kurenai was thankful that Ino had simply offered her a small smile, given her a hug and quickly made the floral arrangement for her to take to Asuma's grave. Ino always gave Kurenai a discount on this day, a small encouragement for which Kurenai was thankful.

This year's winter was colder than usual. Even though as a ninja, the cold didn't affect her quite as severely as it would a civilian, she still couldn't help but take notice. She thought that the cold in the air resembled the cold, empty feeling that had been in her heart since her Asuma had been taken from her. As she closed in on the Hidden Leaf Cemetery, she began to feel an even colder breeze. She could also smell it in the air: it was going to rain, yet another appropriate metaphor for the tears she knew she would soon be shedding as she entered the cemetery through the cast-iron front gate.

As she made her way towards Asuma's tombstone, she began to worry in the back of her mind about her current state of dress; she was wearing her typical bandage-style dress with a single red sleeve and black shinobi sandals, forehead protector, also in black, around her forehead. Even though she was on leave today, she knew that as a Jounin of the Hidden Leaf, she could be called in for a mission at any moment should the need arise, so it was always prudent to be prepared when out and about. Not knowing if she'd have the emotional strength to come back to this place if she left now to get some rain gear, she decided that she would simply endure what would undoubtedly be a very cold rain while going through this yearly ritual of remembrance.

When she had found Asuma's grave, she laid the bouquet in front of the stone, lowered herself to her knees and sat on her heels, and simply placed her hand on the name engraved in the marble grave marker. She began to shed her own first tears as the first raindrops began to fall. As the rainfall progressed into a steady drizzle, to a thunder shower, and then into a full downpour, Kurenai's own tear flow would match it: first a few tears here and there, into steady shedding of tears, eventually turning into silent, body-wracking sobs as she dropped her hands to the ground to support her upper body's weight, hanging her head and clenching her eyes closed.

This was always a very hard day for her…

* * *

><p>Twenty-year old Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze had just left the Hokage's office after reporting back in from routine border patrol. One month out in the wild had really given him a craving for Ichiraku ramen, and he decided that it was time to indulge that craving. It had started to rain about an hour or so beforehand, the perfect weather in which to enjoy a piping hot bowl of broth and noodly goodness. He found himself thankful that he had put weather-resistant seals into his crimson-with-black-flames sage cloak. In addition, he had also placed seals into the cloak that would warm his body and dry him off if he activated them, each of the seals with their own chakra storage seals so that the cloak could perform this task without him having to concentrate on it.<p>

Naruto had to admit that the last several years had been good to him. His three-year training trip with Jiraiya he would call the best years of his life. His growth as a shinobi, and as a person had been absolutely staggering during this period. Jiraiya had not only helped Naruto with his education and training, but he had also taught him two other important lessons: espionage and intelligence gathering, and the importance of having sources of income other than ninja missions, which could always dry up during periods of peace and low activity. Not even Tsunade knew that Jiraiya had shown Naruto how to build his own spy network and develop his own methods of gathering intel. Jiraiya had also taught him how to invest in and build businesses while living the lifestyle of a shinobi.

Naruto was now intensely grateful for the investment lessons that he received, as he now owned several highly successful businesses that made him rather wealthy. His gratitude was increased by the fact that since the war ended, ninja were not in as high demand as they were when things were a little more tense between the nations. Missions weren't as plentiful anymore, and even high-level jounin had to take what they could get, which was mostly C-ranks with the occasional B-rank mission thrown in. A-ranks were few and far between, and S-ranks were almost unheard of anywhere these days.

Naruto, having plenty of money, told Tsunade of his business ventures, letting her know that he didn't need missions to make ends meet, and that the other shinobi should get his share of the missions. This, of course, did not excuse him from his annual shift of border patrol, or from clients asking for him specifically, although this rarely happened as Naruto's services went at a premium. He was one of two S-rank ninja in the village at the present time, the other, of course, being Tsunade…and of the two, Naruto was by far the stronger. It wouldn't be long now before Naruto would be named Hokage, and he was currently being trained by Tsunade for the position, which he would officially receive within a year's time.

Naruto found himself reflecting on his relation to the village that was his home over the years. He had started as the village pariah, the child whose existence nobody even wanted to acknowledge. Icy stares and whispers are what he received as a kid. Most times, he would be kicked out of stores, or overcharged for goods, many storeowners making it clear that he wasn't welcome in their store. Of course, the pranks that he used to pull didn't exactly help his case, either, but he only turned to mischief because people didn't acknowledge his existence in the first place; he simply created an environment in which he would be impossible to ignore.

Things got better once he became a shinobi. It took a while, but people started to look at him differently when they watched his performance in his first Chunin Exam. He had begun to earn the respect of his peers and their senseis when he defeated Kiba Inuzuka in the final exam preliminary round. He began to earn the respect of the rest of the village when he defeated Neji Hyuga in the finals. He was respected even more so once word began to spread about his defeat of Gaara in his full Shukaku transformation, and more still when the story was told that it was he who brought Tsunade back to the village to be the Fifth Hokage.

Respect had turned into hero worship when he had defeated Pain and saved the village. His loved it at first, but it began to get old fairly quickly, particularly when he began to notice certain things. Everyone now wanted to be his new best friend, which of course he didn't mind, being that he could befriend just about anyone anyway. It was when girls and even some women who hadn't even given him the time of day, or had even been cruel to him before all of this, all of a sudden became fangirls of his that he started to see how shallow hero worship was. He was made even more aware of the shallowness of the village as a whole when people who had ignored him, or even kicked him out of their stores or called him cruel names as a kid began to come up to him as though it had never happened, and they would tell him things like, "I always knew you were a great kid!"

The hero worship and fangirl problem became even worse when he was given a field promotion from genin straight to elite jounin during the war, and his heritage became public knowledge. When the village learned that Naruto, now considered one of their two greatest heroes, was in fact the son of Minato Namikaze, the other of their two greatest heroes, they responded with thunderous applause and wild cheering. This continued hero worship had, of course, increased even more after he had destroyed Madara and Sasuke Uchiha, ending the Fourth Great Shinobi War and bringing about final victory for the Shinobi Alliance. Even through all of this, the village itself had acted as though they had never done Naruto any wrong in his lifetime; he never received a single apology for any abuse or cruelty that he'd had to endure as a child, and even up to his mid-teenage years…while Naruto was very forgiving, it bothered him that the village seemed to be rather averse to taking ownership of and responsibility for its wrongdoings.

Even amongst the shinobi that he was close to and worked with in the leaf, there were very few that truly knew him. Among the civilian populace, the Ichirakus were the only people that did. They had been the only ones who had been able to see through not only Naruto's label as the 'demon boy', but through the mask he used to wear to keep himself shielded from the pain that he felt as a child from the isolation that was forced upon him. They had been the one constant throughout the years; he know that he could always count on the two of them if he needed a place to go, even just to take the mask off for a while. If he was grateful for anyone in his life, it was definitely Old Man Teuchi and his big sister figure Ayame. Among his comrades, Shikamaru was probably the only person in his age group that truly knew Naruto well, and that was only because he was able to make very astute observations that others missed. Of course, when he confronted Naruto about this, Naruto freely opened up and admitted to him that the only reason that he never shared real things about himself before was because, with the exception of Konohamaru and Iruka, and by extension Hanabi and Anko, nobody ever asked. The Ichirakus, of courss, didn't have to ask, as he never hid anything from them anyway.

He had simply accepted the fact that people simply weren't interested in getting to know him. They thought they already had him figured out, whether he was the demon boy or the village hero, people had an idea of him…and in all the years his peers knew him, none of them had bothered to try to find out who he really was, and that's what irked him most of all. This truly was a shallow village he lived in, but it was his home, and he loved it all the same; he would protect it until his dying breath. This line of thinking helped him to turn his thoughts to those people that made the village his home more than anyone else.

Konohamaru, of course, knew Naruto as well as Shikamaru did, because he had actually taken an interest in his surrogate big brother's life. Konohamaru had been dating Hanabi Hyuuga for a little while now, and Hiashi, seeing a way to get Hanabi out of having to brand her with the Caged-Bird Seal, spoke with the two of them, letting them know his thoughts and, with the approval of both Konohamaru and Hanabi, setting up an official betrothal contract for the two. They were to be married by April of next year. This, of course, caused Naruto to get to know Hanabi a lot better, as they were with him at his house quite a bit, and Hanabi came to see Naruto as a big brother herself.

Iruka, of course, always took an interest in his surrogate little brother's life, and when Iruka had started seeing Anko Mitarashi, she began to get to know a completely different Naruto than she had previously thought him to be. She became a big sister figure to him as well; also spending a lot of time in each others' homes, as Naruto had them over quite a bit, and once they were married and they had bought their own house, they had Naruto over quite a bit as well. Naruto couldn't help but think back to Iruka's and Anko's wedding. Naruto was the Best Man, and Kurenai Yuhi was the Maid of Honor; Naruto was all smiles that day for one of his most cherished loved ones, but he remembered that Kurenai's smile seemed to be rather forced, as though she were genuinely happy for Anko, but was remembering something that was quite painful for her. They had both made some small talk during the wedding reception, and he could tell that the woman was grateful that he was doing what he could to take her mind off of whatever it was that was bothering her; he made an educated guess that she was thinking of what her life would be like had Asuma lived and they had married, but he wisely decided not to broach the topic with her.

As he walked by the cemetery on his way to his favorite eating establishment in town, he was broken out of his musings when he overheard a few men talking amongst themselves.

"Boy, I wouldn't mind getting me a piece of that…" said the first one with a leer.

"Yeah…she's a hottie, alright…I'd like to bang that, myself…" said a second one, with a smirk to the first one.

"Hmm..." said a third, drooling at the object of their perverted thoughts.

Naruto stopped for a moment and cast a glance in the direction that the men were looking, and saw the back of a woman. He recognized the bandage-dress and black-brown hair of the woman who had just taken center stage in his musings: one Kurenai Yuhi, kneeling in front of a gravestone with her head hung down and shoulders slumped, shivering, her body shaking up and down every now and again in what appeared to be sobs. Even from here, Naruto could tell that she was soaked to the bone, and would likely end up getting sick if she didn't cover up or take shelter soon. He hadn't really seen Kurenai in a while, or interacted with her much, but seeing her in the state that he presumed she was in, he felt compelled to try to offer some form of assistance to her.

Noting his own compulsion, Naruto found himself getting irritated that these men were simply leering at her, not even noticing her emotional distress or physical discomfort, and began to walk in the direction of the cemetery's front gate, which happened to be where these men were standing. As Naruto approached, the men noticed him, smiled and greeted him like he was their best friend, as had become commonplace in Naruto's experience. Naruto simply smiled and nodded curtly, not stopping to talk to them, and entered the cemetery, not noticing that the men had decided to move on when he left.

His expression changed to one of concern as he walked over to Kurenai, who was indeed shivering and sobbing, seemingly lost in her own world. Naruto removed his cloak and draped it over her shoulders as he walked around to the front of her.

Kurenai opened her eyes as she felt the cloak drape over her body. She slowly looked up, her eyes taking in a pair of brown low-top leather lace-up boots and bleached-blue loose-fit jeans, coming up to a crimson long-sleeve pull-over shirt under a black jounin vest, and finally resting upon a mop of spiky blond hair, and sparkling blue eyes on a tanned, chiseled face adorned with three whisker-like marks on each cheek. Recognizing Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, she blinked a couple of times as those beautiful cerulean blues looked at her with great concern, seemingly wishing that they could ease her pain or even take it away completely. As he saw her swollen, puffy cheeks and ruby-red eyes made crimson from being bloodshot with tears, he offered a sad smile, which for some reason caused her to begin crying even harder than she had been, but this time, the sobs were loud…she couldn't hold them back anymore.

Kurenai leaned forward, sobbing loudly into Naruto's shirt, her arms grasping at his jounin vest. She eased into him even more as Naruto's arms simply wrapped around her, his right hand gently holding the back of her head through her hair, his left hand gently rubbing up and down her back as she cried into him, releasing everything she was feeling. After a few moments, she eased into him even further, wrapping her arms around his body, clinging to him, continuing to sob into his chest, Naruto continuing to rub her back and keeping his hand in her hair. While doing this, he made shushing noises to calm her, and spoke softly, reassuring her that he would remain with her for as long as it took to let all of her grief out. After a few minutes of this, by the time Kurenai had cried herself out, she pulled back from him, regaining her composure before looking up at him and giving him a grateful smile.

"Thank you…Naruto," she said quietly, her voice somewhat hoarse from sobbing.

"You're quite welcome," he responded with a warm smile of his own. She smiled at his thoughtfulness, causing him to respond, "Kurenai, do you want me to give you some space for a while?"

At this, Kurenai took a moment to collect her thoughts enough to respond to him as she said, "Ermm…thank you," again with a grateful smile.

Naruto released his hold on her, Kurenai doing the same. He said to her, "The cloak is weather-resisitant, and it has seals in it that will warm you up and dry you off," before putting his right hand into a half-ram sign, touching the cloak with his left hand and whispering, "Dry heat seal, release".

Kurenai noticed that she immediately became warmer, and was also beginning to dry off, even the parts of her that were not covered in the cloak. She looked at Naruto, again with gratitude, and a bit of wonder mixed in.

Naruto began to walk away while saying, "Take as much time as you want, OK? I'll wait for you by the front entrance."

As he left her to finish her visitation, she found that she felt strangely lighter than she had felt in quite a while. She had never grieved or wailed that loudly, even when she had learned of Asuma's death or upon learning that she had miscarried, and she found that it had felt great to get it all out of her system. Years of pent-up grief and anguish had been released into Naruto's warm, comforting embrace, and she couldn't help but wonder how it was that this hadn't happened until now. She spent a few more minutes at Asuma's gravesite, privately thanking Asuma for sending Naruto her way (she had somehow imagined that it was Asuma who sent Naruto to try to comfort her), and then got up, heading towards the front entrance.

She saw Naruto standing there, simply waiting patiently, allowing himself to get soaked in the downpour as she was now warm and dry in his sage cloak. He smiled as he saw her walking towards him, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at this young, handsome, and now rather tall, man before her. She began to think back to the last time she had seen him, which was at Anko's and Iruka's wedding; she could tell that he had noticed how she was feeling at that time, and at the wedding reception, he had seemingly made it his personal mission to make sure that it would be a fun and happy affair for her as well as for the bride and groom; it meant a lot to her that he was so considerate at that time. He was at least a good six to seven inches taller; he had to be at least 6'3" to her 5'9". His hair was in the same style as his father's, spiky blond up top, extending down to the bottom of his neck. As his face had matured, he resembled his father more and more, in fact, many had thought that he was the spitting image of his father, taking away the whisker marks.

It was also easy to see that he had matured mentally and emotionally in the past 4 or so years since coming back from his training trip with Jiraiya. His voice sounded close to his father's as she remembered it, but Naruto's timbre was slightly lower. She also noticed a spark of wisdom and intelligence in his piercing gaze, along with sadness and pain, indicating that he had matured beyond his years, and that his maturation had not been easy. As she pondered this, she realized that in all the time she had known him, that she really didn't "know" him; all she knew were what the public already knew, as well as what the rumor mill spread.

Naruto brought her out of her reverie as he asked, "All set?"

Kurenai smiled and nodded, responding, "Yes…thank you for loaning me your cloak, Naruto," as she began to remove it to return to him.

Naruto walked up to her and placed his hands over her own, gently pulling the cloak closed once again on her slim, lithe form.

She looked up at him in confusion, to which he responded with a smile, "Kurenai, I will not allow a lady to be soaked in the rain, or made to be uncomfortable if it's within my power to prevent it."

At this, her confused frown became a surprised smile as she simply responded with a light blush, "Well…err…thank you, Naruto!"

"Not at all," responded Naruto with a warm chuckle. He continued, "So where can I escort you to?" as they walked out of the cemetery and began to follow the road, Naruto walking alongside Kurenai, letting her dictate their direction.

"Well, I was just going to head back home," Kurenai admitted.

"Please, lead the way," said Naruto graciously. As they were walking, Kurenai's face began to pull itself into a happy smile.

She began to talk to Naruto, "So where are you coming from, Naruto?"

"I just left from reporting in to Grandma Tsunade after returning from border patrol…"

Kurenai frowned in distaste at this, "Ugghh…you must be glad to be back…"

"Yeah, I really am," replied Naruto, agreement with her own distaste for the drab assignment evident in his own tone, "but I don't have to go again for a whole year…so that's kinda nice. What about you? Any interesting missions, yourself, lately?"

"No, not really…just typical run-of-the-mill assignments, like escort duty, bandit elimination, things like that. Most of my duties lately have actually consisted of training and researching new genjutsu."

Naruto's interest seemed to pique at this, "Really? Have you come up with anything yet?"

Kurenai shrugged, "Nothing really, yet, but I think I may be on track to using a modified version of the Second Hokage's Infinite Darkness Jutsu," she finished with a little excitement…ever since the miscarriage, she had thrown herself into her work, which was now her primary source of stimulation and fulfillment…if it could be called that.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Really? Why modified?"

"Well…I've found that my chakra reserves and control are at about their peaks in balance right now. The problem is that I can't seem to increase my control any more than I have, and when I try to increase my reserves, my control starts to suffer, and I currently don't have enough chakra to effectively perform the original jutsu, hence the need to modify…"

Naruto looked down at the road in front of him as he hummed in thought, then turned to Kurenai, not slowing his leisurely gait, "That's a rather…interesting problem to have. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone running into that particular issue…in theory, there should be no plateau like that. What chakra exercises have you been using to increase your control and reserves?"

Kurenai responded, "the standard ones: leaf-balancing, tree and water walking, kunai and senbon balancing, any combination thereof…those are really the only ones that I know, and they're also the only ones I've needed for fine-tuned control…"

Naruto continued to ponder the issue that he had heard; he seemed to know something about her problem, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He knew it would come to him in time, so he decided to tell Kurenai that he would look into her issue.

"Kurenai…" Naruto began as Kurenai turned her gaze to him once more, "…something about the issue you're facing doesn't seem…well…normal to be honest. Let me do a little research on what might cause this kind of problem, and I'll see if I can't help you find a better solution than having to modify jutsu to suit that limitation, OK?"

Kurenai's eyes brightened as she nodded, intrigued and excited at the possibility of making a breakthrough in her overall level of ability and skill. Silence reigned for a few moments, becoming somewhat uncomfortable, at least for Kurenai.

She decided to break the silence, "You know, Naruto, I can't help but think about Anko and Iruka's Wedding, and how…well, you were…quite observant of my mental and emotional state that day; I never did tell you just how thankful I was that you helped me…just to enjoy myself that day."

Upon hearing this, Naruto smiled and responded in a tone belying genuine curiosity, "You're welcome…but what brings that to mind?"

"Actually, the fact that you've done it yet again just now," responded Kurenai, as she lowered her head, feeling both thankful towards Naruto, but at the same time, hurt and angry that nobody else had done anything beforehand, "I…had been at Asuma's gravesite for over an hour when you showed up, and nobody cared enough to try to help me; I overheard the comments of those men when they were ogling me, but you…came over and seemed to know exactly what it was I needed. I guess…seeing this and experiencing this from you…it makes me realize that I really don't know you as well as I might have thought I did…"

"Hmm...you're right. I don't really know you that well, either. What do you say we remedy that?"

Almost immediately, Kurenai's stomach began to growl, causing her to blush.

Naruto, not missing a beat, raised an eyebrow and added with a chuckle, "Over lunch, maybe?"

Kurenai gave a small smile in mild embarrassment, nodding in agreement with Naruto's suggestion.

Naruto asked, "So…got a tasting for anything?"

Kurenai thought a little before responding, "Not really…but I wouldn't mind some hot soup…this is good weather for it…"

Naruto responded in turn, "I like the way you think…how does ramen sound?"

Kurenai gave another small smile and nodded. Naruto responded, "To Ichiraku's, then!"

After a few moments of walking, they arrived at their destination, and entered through the front flaps, immediately attacked by the heavenly smell that the little stand always emitted.

Ayame Ichiraku turned around and saw the stand's number one customer, greeting him warmly, "Welcome back, Naruto! It's been too quiet without you, here!"

"Hey there, Ayame," said Naruto, giving her his famous foxy grin, "How are ya?"

"Same old, same old! One sec…" she responded, as she turned around and yelled towards the back of the stand, "DAD, NARUTO'S BACK!"

Teuchi Ichiraku came back out of the stock room, grinning upon seeing his favorite customer, "Hey, Naruto! It's great to see you again, son! And with company, no less," he added with an amused, playful smile.

"You too, Teuchi, and yes, I believe you know Kurenai Yuhi."

"Why, yes, I do. What can I get for the two of you?"

Naruto looked at Kurenai with raised eyebrows, allowing her to order first. Kurenai looked at Naruto, seeing his expression, and turned back to Teuchi to place her order, "I'll have a large seafood ramen, extra shrimp and fishcakes, please."

Naruto then placed his own order, "I'll have a Naruto Special to start, old man…"

Teuchi smiled knowingly, "Coming up!"

Kurenai looked at Naruto with a single raised questioning eyebrow, "A 'Naruto Special'?"

Naruto grinned somewhat sheepishly as he responded, "Yeah…extra, extra large bowl of miso ramen with 2 boiled eggs, double barbecued pork, fishcakes, beef, chicken, sprouts and a lobster claw. I order it so much that we just made a name for it…"

He added with a chuckle, "I personally think Teuchi should just add it as a menu item, but he has yet to take that leap."

Kurenai giggled in response to this, giving a slightly larger half-smile, "Fair enough…maybe we can create a 'Kurenai Special', today, hmm?" she finished with a warm laugh.

Naruto brought his hand to his chin in an exaggeratedly thoughtful gesture, with an equally exaggeratedly thoughtful frown, "Hmm…and what would be in the 'Kurenai Special'?"

Naruto turns to Kurenai, hands in front of him, palms facing outward and down, gesturing to imaginary ingredients on the counter as he begins his lecture on how to construct a special ramen dish, "OK, OK…we have to start with a base," at which Kurenai began to engage in some interplay, responding, "OK, so you mean we start with a broth or stock…"

Naruto smiled as he began some interplay of his own, "Correct! The 'Naruto Special', for example, has a base of miso and beef broth. So…what would the 'Kurenai Special's' base be?"

"Hmm…" responded Kurenai, as she looked off in an exaggeratedly thoughtful expression of her own, and responding after a few moments, "I believe that a shrimp, lobster or even a vegetable base would best suit the 'Kurenai Special'…"

At this, Naruto took on a genuinely thoughtful expression, as though trying to envision how a mix of these might taste, "Hmm…I wonder…what about a mix of shrimp and vegetable stock?"

Kurenai wore a bemused smirk as she responded, "That actually sounds pretty good!"

Naruto, still in thought, added, "I must admit I also find myself wondering what shrimp broth and miso might taste like together…"

Both of their musings were interrupted by the soft clink of a small platter being placed on the counter by none other than Teuchi. On the platter were six small sample-sized cups of broth, separated into pairs, which caused Naruto and Kurenai to both raise an eyebrow in confusion at the ramen chef.

Teuchi answered the unspoken question with a smirk, "Well, since you're both wondering how certain combinations might taste mixed together, I thought I'd let you actually taste them…"

He pointed to each pair of sample cups as he identified them, "Shrimp and Miso…Shrimp and Vegetable…and for laughs, Shrimp, Vegetable and Miso…"

He looked back up at them, "So…taste each and let me know what you think."

Naruto and Kurenai both picked up their respective cups of shrimp and miso first. Naruto knocked it back, swishing it around in his mouth to get a good feel for the flavor before swallowing. Kurenai sipped hers a little more slowly, smacking her tongue against her palette in order to help her concentrate on the flavor.

Both Kurenai and Naruto nodded in approval at the combination, and they tasted the other two samples in the same method. When they were done, Kurenai spoke her mind, "I believe that the Shrimp and Vegetable base would best suit the 'Kurenai Special', as the miso, while very good, overpowers the other two. I envision the 'Kurenai Special' with a lighter flavor."

At this, Naruto and Teuchi nodded in approval of her judgment. Naruto continued with the 'lesson', "Excellent! OK, we have the base, and of course, the noodles go without saying…but…how about the toppings?"

Kurenai answered without missing a beat, "Shrimp…lots and lots of shrimp. And then fishcakes…scallops…crab legs…a lobster claw…some bean sprouts…and a bay leaf as a garnish!"

Naruto raised a curious eyebrow. Kurenai continued after catching her breath, looking at Naruto dead in the eye while wagging a finger in emphasis, "And presentation of the dish is very important in the Kurenai Special. The dish must be a work of art, perfectly symmetrical. The lobster claw should stand against the left side of the bowl, and the crab legs should line the remaining edge. The bottoms of the crab legs should be surrounded by the shrimp in a wraparound fashion. The fishcakes and bean sprouts should be in the middle of the bowl, and the scallops…hmm…" Kurenai raised her finger to her chin and glanced upward in thought, finishing with, "The scallops should be underneath the noodles as a sort of pleasant surprise, so to speak…and the bay leaf should be dead center of the bowl!"

Kurenai smiled and nodded in satisfaction as she finished, not having noticed that Teuchi had gone back into the kitchen to start on the orders. Naruto nodded back, turned his head towards the kitchen and shouted, "HEY TEUCHI! DID YOU GET ALL THAT? LET'S HAVE A 'KURENAI SPECIAL' IN PLACE OF KURENAI'S PREVIOUS ORDER!"

"I GOT IT ALL, SON! TWO 'KURENAI SPECIALS' COMING RIGHT UP!"

Kurenai's eyes went wide with surprise as Naruto gave her a wink and a thumbs-up. She wasn't actually going to order the dish; she was only having a little spontaneous fun with her present companion, but the more she thought about it, the more appetizing her creation seemed to become. She smiled in pleasant surprise at this realization, but then she realized what Teuchi had said.

She turned to Naruto with yet another raised eyebrow, "Two?"

Naruto explained, "Well, if it's a new dish, I have to try it, too. Kind of an unspoken rule at Ichiraku's: Naruto must try all new dishes."

Kurenai laughed at this and responded, "Then, of course, we must follow the house rules!"

Naruto laughed with her as he continued, "And then, of course, we'll have to think of a 'Naruto and Kurenai Special'!" at which both of them cracked up.

Teuchi interrupted them as he brought their orders: one Kurenai Special for Kurenai, and a Kurenai Special and a Naruto Special for Naruto. He gave both of his current patrons an amused smirk, "Well, you two, before you go off the deep end in creating additional menu selections for me, why don't you go ahead and enjoy what you ordered…"

Both Naruto and Kurenai grinned rather sheepishly at this. Naruto found Kurenai's face to be quite adorable with a sheepish expression on it. Kurenai noticed his thoughtfully amused smirk and asked, "What is it?"

Naruto responded, "I don't think I've ever seen you wear a 'sheepish' expression before…"

Kurenai seemed to think about this, and responded, "Hmm…I guess we're both a little surprised today…because I've never engaged in such witty banter with you, before..."

Naruto nodded at this, "Very true…but for now..." as he turned to his bowl of ramen and broke his chopsticks, saying, "Down the hatch!" as he began to eat his ramen, Kurenai doing the same.

Kurenai, of course, knew of Naruto's ramen fetish, but had heard from several of her friends and her former students that he would usually inhale his ramen…and that it was quite a sight to see. To see him eating his food with perfect table manners was another surprise. She raised an eyebrow at this, and Naruto seemed to know what she was thinking, as his response would indicate, "If you're wondering why I'm not wolfing it down, it's because it would be unfitting and impolite to do so in the presence of a lady…" he finished with a smile.

Kurenai smiled at Naruto's indirect compliment. As the pair ate their meal, they began to make conversation.

Naruto started, "So Kurenai…tell me a little bit about yourself…"

Kurenai responded, "OK…what would you like to know?"

"Hmm…I guess we can start with the basics: likes, dislikes, hobbies, interests, dreams, stuff like that."

"Genin-Team-Style introductions, huh? OK then…well, as you know, I'm a genjutsu mistress. I like learning about and training in new types of genjutsu. I also like roses, shochu (1), vodka and octopus with wasabi, spending time with friends, being pampered and treated like a lady…" she nodded at Naruto while she said this, letting him know that she acknowledged his gentlemanly treatment of her on this day, "…ermm…curling up with a good book in front of a warm fire, relaxing in spas and hot springs, fine dining, and flowery and spicy scents. I dislike cake, perverts, barbaric men and people who make hasty judgments or conclusions without first gathering all the facts…" Naruto smiled at this as Kurenai continued, "My hobbies are having evening drinks with friends, reading good romance and mystery novels, and cooking…" Naruto's expression molded itself into an intrigued smirk with a single raised eyebrow as he heard this, but he didn't interrupt her as she continued, "My interests include genjutsu training and research, learning new and interesting ways to cook, and learning about shochus and vodkas of various kinds and flavors. My dream is to be the world's most renowned genjutsu mistress, and I would say that my immediate goal for the time being, which **you** have just given to me, is to try to overcome the plateau that I've found myself on concerning the balance between my chakra control and reserves."

She took a breath as she finished, then asked, "So what about you, Naruto?"

"Well, I like music…" at this, Kurenai found herself rather shocked, raising both eyebrows and looking intently at him while he continued, "…various types of food, including but not limited to…ramen, sushi, any kind of meat that's grilled, roasted or stewed, and even dango. My favorite ninja art is fuinjutsu…" Kurenai found herself surprised yet again… "…I also like taijutsu, kenjutsu and ninjutsu. I love to learn anything new, especially any new skills that I can get my hands on. My favorite jutsu to use is my Shadow Clone Jutsu because of the way in which I learn anything my clones learn, which allows me to learn and master any new skills I wish to learn very quickly. I like shogi, go and any other game of strategy. I love physical training! I also like relaxing in a good hot spring.

"My dislikes are perverts, fangirls…" at which he involuntarily shuddered before continuing, "…people who make hasty judgments about others, being hit by people simply because they're annoyed, cowards and traitors…" Kurenai noticed Naruto's eyes darken just a bit as he said the last two, but allowed him to continue, "My hobbies are learning any new skills that I might find useful and putting them to use, training my mind and body, calligraphy…it helps with my sealing…singing and playing various musical instruments…"

At this, Kurenai couldn't help but interrupt, "Really?" she said, surprise evident in both her tone and expression.

Naruto smiled, "It's true. I was actually born with perfect pitch, and I had taken up singing to start with as a kid; I didn't start to learn how to play instruments until a couple of years ago, though…"

Kurenai smiled, both intrigued and excited about this new discovery she had just been given as she responded, "You'll have to sing for me, sometime, then…"

Naruto gave an embarrassed chuckle, "We'll see…" he responded before continuing, "Now, where was I? Ah, yes! Some of the skills I've picked up are gardening, architecture, carpentry and construction…" Kurenai's eyes grew wider and wider as he continued listing off several of his hobbies, "…cooking, interior design, basic tailoring, and blacksmithing. My interests are researching and developing new seals for my fuinjutsu, learning various fighting styles to add to my own, whether kenjutsu or taijutsu, finding new and more effective ways to break or counter genjutsu, which is actually something of a little project that I'm working on…one that I wouldn't mind your help with, now that I think about it…" Kurenai nodded in understanding as he continued, "…and learning the various political, economic and social aspects and goings-on within the village and the Land of Fire.

"My dreams…" Naruto paused to close his eyes and sigh, and then continued in a more subdued tone of voice, "…my dreams are to be the world's greatest Sealmaster, to be Hokage, so that I can help build a better world than we currently live in…and to hopefully find that special someone and start a family with her," he finished with a smile.

Kurenai couldn't help but smile wistfully as she listened. They had each finished their respective meals during the course of the conversation, continuing to make small talk. Kurenai eventually posed the question, "So what instruments do you play?"

Naruto answered, "I can play any type of guitar, any piano or keyboard, drums and most percussion instruments, the flute, the pan-flute, tenor and alto saxophone, harmonica, the violin, the trumpet, horn, and trombone…those are the ones I've mastered so far…"

Kurenai was once again astounded, "Those are the instruments you've **mastered**?"

Naruto simply smiled and nodded, "What I like to do is use Shadow Clones as my own band while I sing songs that I like."

"And what kinds of songs do you like?"

"I like to play most types of rock and jazz. I also like some folk and classical-type easy listening."

Kurenai smiled once more, "OK…you have got to perform for me at some point."

"Fair enough," replied Naruto, still unsure as to whether or not he wanted to do this for her or not; he had never actually sang or played for anyone in the village before.

The rain had since stopped, and the sun was shining brightly in the early afternoon. Teuchi brought a check each for Kurenai and Naruto. Before Kurenai could take hers, Naruto spoke up, "Teuchi, I'll take both of those."

Kurenai tried to object, "Naruto, you really don't have to…"

Naruto, however, would have none of it, "Nonsense. Being a gentleman, I am more than happy to pay for the lady in my company," he ended with a sincere smile.

Kurenai simply smiled in resignation, "Very well…thank you, kind sir."

"You're quite welcome, dear lady," responded Naruto, in a playful tone.

Naruto paid both bills, and escorted Kurenai out of the stand. Noting that the rain had stopped, and the sun was out, warming the chill in the air somewhat, Kurenai removed Naruto's cloak from her shoulders and handed it back to him, thanking him again for covering her up.

"So when should we meet and talk about this little project of yours?" asked Kurenai.

Naruto thought at this for a few moments before answering, "Are you free later today?"

Kurenai nodded, mildly surprised that he was prepared to do it so soon, "Err…yes I am, actually…"

Naruto continued, "Do you still live at the same place?"

"I haven't moved in over ten years, if that's what you mean…"

"OK. I know where you live, then. I'll come by your place at around…is Four OK?"

"You don't have to do that, Naruto. I can just meet you at a training ground or the library or something."

"That's not the problem…the issue is that all of my research is in my library at home, and it's not exactly portable…and…if nothing else, I can make us dinner after we're done!"

"Naruto, you don't have to go to all that trouble," said Kurenai in mock annoyance.

Naruto smiled knowingly and simply nodded, replying, "It's no trouble, Kurenai…remember, I like to cook just like you do."

Kurenai began to open her mouth to respond, and then curtly closed it, nodding with a smile, "OK, then. I'll see you at Four."

"You bet. Until then, dear lady…have a wonderful afternoon!"

"Thank you, kind sir! I will be sure to!" she said with an exaggerated yet genuine smile as she walked away, waving goodbye. Naruto noticed that her step had quite a bit more spring to it before he left to prepare his notes so that he could show Kurenai exactly what he had come up with so far. As he was walking home, he continued to ponder her chakra control/reserve balance problem…and the answer suddenly hit him! Smiling to himself, he would be sure to ask Kurenai a few questions about it later to confirm his theory after he brought her to his home.

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><p><strong>AN: (1) shochu - strong distilled Japanese liquor – stronger than sake, about 50 proof<strong>

**To those of you who suspect that the plot of this story is old-hash, please bear in mind that this is only the first chapter. I would encourage you to keep reading. I think you'll find this story to be a refreshing change.**

**Please read and review. Any constructive criticism is always welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto does. I do not own the song "Do Something"; the Eagles do (please see footnote where indicated).**

**Wow! I'm very happy with how many people like this story! My second ever posting to fanfiction, and in less than one day, 11 reviews, 429 hits, 18 favorites, 16 alerts, and even 2 C2's! Thanks so much everyone who's taken an interest, and especially to Skamikaze for your excellent review! And now, on with the story!**

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><p>As Kurenai walked home, she unconsciously wore a wistful smile on her face as she strolled at a leisurely pace. She couldn't help but reflect on her encounter with the young blond who had completely transformed her mood in such a short amount of time.<p>

'_Wow…I don't know what to make of this. Naruto was able to get me to completely drop my guard with just a look and a smile…even Asuma couldn't do that. Whenever he looked at me, he looked me in the eyes…it's been a while since a man actually treated me like a person with feelings. I'm supposed to be more observant to subtleties than most, so how did I miss all of this about Naruto? A lot of things really kind of make sense, now that I think about it. His fights against Kiba and Neji in the Chunin Exams all those years ago, the way he was able to help Yakumo, and the way he believed in me as Team Eight's sensei. Even the way he was able to defeat Pain; in spite of being the ninja that all of us kind of looked down our noses at, he still somehow managed to become far stronger than all of us, and it never occurred to me to try to get to know him before now…"_

Kurenai found herself feeling a sense of resolve that she hadn't felt since the days of her old genin team when she was determined to make them into the best ninja they could be as her thoughts began to take a different direction, _'Well, I'm going to get to know the man that has thoroughly intrigued me today! I wonder just how many of his comrades have really taken the time to get to know the real Naruto…"_

She continued strolling along, the dreamy, wistful smile never having left her face, her body walking on autopilot as she daydreamed like a schoolgirl about future encounters and conversations with the Namikaze Clan Head. She was brought out of her daydreaming by a familiar feminine voice to her left calling her name.

As she stopped and blinked to collect her thoughts and her bearings, she turned her head in the direction of the voice to see Ino standing in the door of the Yamanaka Flower Shop; she hadn't even realized that she had walked in this direction.

She smiled again as Ino walked towards her. When Ino got close, she stopped and asked with some concern, "So, did everything go OK?"

Kurenai nodded with a genuine smile, "Yes, Ino…everything went fine. Thanks again for the discount on the flowers."

Ino smiled in response, "It's no problem at all; I miss him, too."

Kurenai's smile became a little sadder, but it never left her face, "Yeah…but, that's over for now, so let's enjoy the rest of the day, shall we?" she asked, with a brighter smile as she finished.

Ino frowned in thought, raising an eyebrow in bemusement, which was evident in her tone, "Kurenai…you do seem a little happier than usual…" she said, leaving an open door, hoping to bait Kurenai into sharing why she seemed to be acting a bit out of character at the moment.

Kurenai, still feeling rather wistful, didn't seem to notice this, and began to take the bait, "Hmm…" she said looking up and around with that same wistful smile and glazed-over look in her eyes, "I guess you're right…I do feel happier than I've felt in a while…" as she turned her gaze back to Ino.

Ino narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Kurenai, causing her to raise a confused eyebrow. Ino grabbed Kurenai's wrist and pulled her into the shop, towards the back. When she had dragged Kurenai back far enough to be able to have a private conversation, she let go of Kurenai's wrist, turned to face her, and with narrowed eyes and a sly grin on her face, she said, "OK…spill."

"Huh?" asked Kurenai, genuinely confused.

Ino continued, "Who is he?"

This only seemed to confuse Kurenai even more, "Err…Who is…who?"

Ino, of course, would not be deterred. Rolling her eyes, she responded, "Kurenai, you came in to the shop earlier sad and depressed, the same way that you come in every year on this day. I find you only a few hours later, and you look like you're walking on air…so if I didn't know any better…**and I don't**…I would assume that you've become rather infatuated with someone between then and now. So…SPILL!" Ino finished in a mock-forceful tone with a raised eyebrow and a bemused smile.

Kurenai frowned in thought at this, trying to collect her thoughts, _'Am I really that easy to read right now? I'm certainly intrigued by Naruto, but would I go so far as to say I'__m becoming infatuated with him? I know that I could certainly do worse, but…still…I haven't even had time to think about my feelings; they've just started! I don't really know how I feel right now…' _and with this, she turned her attention back to Ino's intense gaze,_ 'I'll need to handle this delicately…'_

Kurenai turned to Ino with a smile and responded, "Ino, I won't tell you who he is…" and which Ino interrupted, while pointing at Kurenai with a knowing grin, "HAH! I was RIGHT!"

Kurenai nodded as she continued, "I don't even know how I feel yet because I don't really know him that well; I haven't had the chance to really even think about my feelings because I only started feeling this way a few minutes ago…but if anything does develop, I will make sure to let you know. Does that sound good?"

Ino gave a knowing grin, nodding at the older jounin. Kurenai smiled at Ino before taking her leave of the girl, letting her know that she had some things that she needed to take care of. Ino couldn't stop grinning excitedly about the possibility of Kurenai getting a new man, and her curiosity was growing by the second. Of course, working in I&T taught her many things, first and foremost among them being patience. She knew she would find out (or dig it out) soon enough.

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><p>It was a little after two in the afternoon when Kurenai arrived at her home. She spent the rest of the afternoon freshening up after having gotten doused in the rain earlier. Even though she was dry, her hair was still a bit of a mess, and she had also found that some of her make-up had run. Feeling rather embarrassed at her current appearance, and rather grateful that Naruto had the presence of mind to not draw any attention to it, she decided to draw a bath and wash up. As she was bathing herself, paying close attention to her hair, she began to hum a happy tune to herself, smiling wistfully once more as she looked forward to when Naruto would come and get her. She started to realize that she was actually getting excited at the fact that she would be eating dinner with him…at his home, no less!<p>

It was a little before three o'clock by the time Kurenai had finished cleaning herself up and getting dressed again. After taking a few minutes to reapply her normal make-up, she decided to read "Murder in the Hidden Mist," in order to get her mind off of her excitement at her upcoming…appointment…with Naruto. She walked into her living room, curled up onto her plush purple velvet loveseat, opened her novel to the bookmarked page, and began to read.

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><p>Naruto was leaping across the rooftops so that he could quickly get back to his home in order to prepare his research for his…brainstorming session?...with Kurenai. As he arrived at his home, he quickly opened the front gate and entered the grounds of his estate. Entering the main house, he quickly made his way to the stairs descending into the first-level basement, more specifically, his labworkshop, as he had dubbed it. This room was, in reality, a room that branched off from his main library, which was quite extensive. The workroom itself was actually a decent-sized room, with a sizeable desk, two long tables that he used as workbenches, all of which were a few feet away from the walls, as each of the four walls in the room had two 8' by 20' whiteboards mounted on it, the room's single door in the middle of two of the whiteboards being the only feature distinguishing that wall from the other three.

The whiteboards, fortunately, didn't need too much organizing, as Naruto kept the details on them in good topical or sequential order. The scrolls and other documents containing the rest of his notes, however, needed to be not only organized, but separated from the documents and scrolls that were being used for several other projects of his as well. He created five shadow clones, and with them, he started sifting through all of the documentation and paper, separating each document into piles by project. Once he had all of his papers organized, the clones took the other scrolls and placed them out of the way underneath the workbenches, while Naruto himself brought the project he wanted to discuss with Kurenai over to his desk. Satisfied with the simple preparations that he had made, he went back into the main living areas of the house, making his way to the second floor and into his bedroom. Once inside his room, he took off his sage cloak and his jounin vest, but elected to keep his headband on.

As he looked at his alarm clock, he realized that the time was now 3:45. He quickly ran out of his room, back down to the first floor of the house, and ran out the front door. His front gate was still up, and Naruto unconsciously went through the hand-seal sequence that would reseal his property as he exited the grounds and made his way across the rooftops once more, this time to Kurenai's apartment complex. He heard the occasional squeal of a fangirl in the streets below. Shuddering, he decided that they were going to take the rooftops back to his house as well to avoid being mobbed mid-trip.

It only took Naruto about five minutes to arrive at Kurenai's front door. Even though he was still almost ten minutes early, he decided to knock anyway. He heard a muffled cry of, "Just a second," from the other side of the door, in a voice that he recognized as Kurenai's own. A few seconds later, the front door opened, revealing a Kurenai that was much more refreshed than when Naruto had last seen her.

Naruto smiled as he greeted her, "Hey, there!"

"Hello…" Kurenai greeted him in kind as she smiled in response, drawing out the second syllable in a friendly manner.

Naruto continued, "I know I'm a little early; do you need a few minutes?"

Kurenai shook her head, "Not at all, and you get points in my book for being so prompt! I was just reading a book while waiting for you."

"Well, OK then," Naruto said as he stepped back, extending his left arm out to the side in a gesture indicating that he would like her to follow him, "Shall we?"

Kurenai smiled in response. "Let's!" she said, as she exited her apartment, closing and locking the front door before walking beside Naruto as they left her apartment complex, Naruto leading her in the direction of his home.

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><p>Naruto set a comfortable rooftop pace for Kurenai to follow him. Kurenai had never realized just how bad Naruto's fangirl problem was until she heard the squeals in the streets below. <em>'Even Sasuke didn't have it this bad…in fact the only person I can remember having this kind of problem was the Fourth Hokage. Well, Naruto is his son, so I guess on one hand, it's really no<em>_t surprising, but still…seeing it from this end…'_ she gave an involuntary shudder in sympathy for Naruto as that thought trailed off.

After about ten minutes of travel, Kurenai had followed Naruto to what was the old Uchiha District before the village reclaimed the land and began to sell it off. He led her to a twenty-foot-high wall. A single vaulted archway housed a black slab of cast-iron that appeared to serve as the front gate. Kurenai watched as Naruto placed his hand on the red Uzumaki Spiral that was surrounded in yellowish-orange flames in the exact center of the metal slab and channeled chakra into it. Naruto removed his hand as the emblem began to glow, after which a metallic groan was heard as the slab began to lift itself, allowing the pair entrance to the property within. Kurenai followed Naruto as he entered the grounds.

The first thing she noticed was the sudden increase in temperature upon entering the gate. The temperature had gone from a wintery cold to what one would associate to the mild cool of mid-spring. It wasn't hot, but it was definitely quite comfortable; almost the perfect weather in which to train.

She glanced back as her ears caught the whining of the gate as it lowered, ending with a loud thud as it touched down. Bringing her gaze back to the front, she began to drink in some of the details of Naruto's property. The inside of the property walls were the first thing she noticed: solid brick and mortar, but what really caught her attention were the seals that were painted all over them, the purposes of which she could only begin to guess.

The courtyard itself was well-landscaped with a twelve-foot-wide marble walkway leading towards the porch at the front of the main house, situated some thirty yards back from the gate. On either side of the walkway was one half of a well-manicured lawn with various shrubs, standalone trees and flower beds scattered sparsely throughout, though patterned in such a way as to make both sides of the front lawn symmetrical. The house itself was quite impressive to look at: built in a western-style of wood painted white intermixed with grayish-brown stone, Kurenai guessed that this two-story mansion had to be at least five thousand square feet, and this was just from what she could see above ground.

As Naruto led her to the front door, he opened it for her as he said, "Welcome to my home, Kurenai."

Kurenai smiled as she entered the open doorway. As she entered the house, her eyes started to gaze this way and that, drinking in the details of the foyer and living room she now found herself in. The floors were a mix of marble/granite, most of which was covered with rugs of various sizes, shapes, colors and patterns. All of the necessities were there: furniture such as sofas, loveseats, coffee and end tables, and a full eight to ten person dining room set situated towards the back of the room in a sizeable dining-niche. There was also a coat rack a few feet off to the side of the front door, which had a few different coats and jackets on it.

The walls were decorated here and there with a few paintings, the largest of which was a painting of Naruto's parents: a smiling Minato Namikaze with his arm around a grinning and rather pregnant Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze, one of Konoha's many public parks serving as the backdrop for this warm, touching scene. The various mantle places seemed to have a few trinkets and photos on them, giving a homey feeling to the rather large room. Kurenai was reminded that Naruto did mention interior design being one of his hobbies.

She was brought out of her observations by the sound of Naruto's voice, "So, would you like the grand tour before we get down to business?"

Kurenai smiled bemusedly, "Yes, I would, please."

Naruto motioned for her to follow him, "This way, then."

Kurenai followed Naruto as he showed her his home, beginning with the current floor. The first floor contained the kitchen, which was very large, spacious and quite well-equipped, the living room, the dining room, an indoor onsen built off to the side of the house with several different baths, each being large enough for about six people, as well as each bath having its own retractable roof if the bathers wanted an outdoor onsen, and an office/study. Naruto explained to her that the office on this floor was one of several in the house, and this particular one served the purpose of keeping his records and allowing him to handle his "life/money matters" as he called them. Kurenai couldn't imagine why he would need a 15' by 20' room filled with furnishings and filing cabinets simply to handle "life/money matters"; of course given the size of the house and property that Naruto owned, she could pretty well guess that he was fairly affluent. The rest of the first floor was just a few bathrooms, rooms primarily used for storage, or had not yet been given purposes by Naruto.

Naruto proceeded to lead her to the second floor, which housed several guest bedrooms and corresponding bathrooms, as well as the master bedroom/bathroom suite, the ornateness of which astounded Kurenai. The floor of this room was covered in what appeared to be carpeting made of various animal furs. The walls were painted on a soft medium tan, accompanied by soft lighting, giving the room an alluring, almost romantic air, as though this would be Naruto's "little piece of heaven on earth". The dressers with their accompanying vanity mirrors and nightstands were all made of or framed in solid oak, which Naruto had explained had come from the richer parts of the Land of Fire's Forests. The bed, she noticed, was also quite large, easily capable of fitting several people comfortably, having an oval-shape, and covered in crimson silk sheets and high-quality comforters, matching the crimson velvet drapes which outlined the windows, and were currently drawn back to let the day's natural light bathe the room.

After seeing all of this, Naruto led her towards the walk-in closet, and allowed her to look inside it. Though quite spacious, she noted that most of it was empty, as it had been built for two rather than one. Seeing that there wasn't much else to look at in the closet, she turned her attention to the master bath.

The size of the bathroom, as well as the magnificence of the fixtures, caused Kurenai to gasp in awe. Inside the bathroom was a stand-up shower big enough for two, with an outcropping allowing for the occupants to sit while showering. There were also several water jets on the walls, allowing for shower massage in addition to the main shower head. There was also a bathtub that was large enough for two occupants, complete with whirlpool jets to turn the bathtub into a Jacuzzi. On the wall opposite the shower stall and bathtub, were the toilet, the seat of which appeared to be quite comfortable, but other than that, was largely without any features of particular notice, and two separate his and hers sinks with corresponding vanities and medicine cabinets, all surfaced with polished marble. The floors and walls were covered in lavish tale, patterned in a mixture of pearl white, sky blue and lime green.

Naruto led Kurenai out of the master bathroom once he saw that she was starting to drool. He led her out to the balcony of the master suite, pointing out the grounds on the sides of the house and in the back, all of which was visible from the balcony. He pointed her to the training dojo that he had set up about 50 yards or so back from the house and off to the right, and gave her a rundown on the facilities and equipment that could be found inside the structure. He also pointed out the sizeable shed where he kept his gardening and landscaping supplies, as well as a workshop where he planned a lot of his personal construction projects, as well as where he kept his forge for his blacksmithing. Off towards the very back of the property was a lakeside shore with its own pier.

After he was done pointing out the grounds to her, he led her back into the house and back downstairs, where he showed her that, even though he had stairs that enabled ascent and descent into the basements (she wasn't sure she heard that right at first), Naruto had created and installed a seal array that acted as a teleporter between a corresponding seal array on each level of the house. He led her onto the seal array on the main floor, and teleported her to the second-level basement, explaining to her that they would finish the tour on the first-level basement, as that would be the area where they would be working. On one side of the second basement level was a "control center" of sorts, where Naruto would be able to monitor the condition of the seals that powered and controlled the house and grounds, as well as use certain "master control" and "override" seals should the need arise to do things such as lock down the house, or shut down any seals that might become compromised or damaged, somehow, regardless of how small the chance might be. On the other side was a musical studio, complete with more instruments than Kurenai could count, and some that she couldn't even identify. On top of this, it was set up with a full array of professional-quality auditory equipment: microphones, speakers, amplifiers, soundboards, all connected in a complex web of wires, and even a recording and direction booth! It was quite extensive; Kurenai was amazed by the vastness of it all. Even Naruto's informing her of his mastery of various instruments could not prepare Kurenai for what she was currently seeing. Naruto brought her out of her daze as he led her to the seal in order to come to the final stop on the tour: the first-level basement directly above them.

This level consisted of a library, which was quite vast, seeming to rival the village's main library, if not in size, then certainly in the amount and depth of content and subject matter that it contained. Though the Konoha Library contained subject matter on almost any topic one might wish to peruse, whether civilian or shinobi, Naruto's was much more specialized. It only contained subject matter pertaining to topics that were of interest to him, such as various works on ninjutsu, taijutsu, kenjutsu, and even some works on genjutsu, but it was the magnitude of the content that caught Kurenai's attention. In addition to these topics, there were various other volumes on any range of topics from strategy to politics to blacksmithing and any related topics to these fields of endeavor. Naruto even had a few medical texts in his library.

What had surprised Kurenai even more than the amount of content that she could see, was that Naruto had told her that there was even more that wasn't visible at the moment; Naruto made very good use of storage seals, using them to create a complex indexing system where he could search for any specific scroll or book that he wanted, and willing that particular book to appear, in spite of the fact that there were tens of thousands of volumes stored in this system. Naruto had used one of his own fuinjutsu creations, a preservation seal, to supplement the storage/indexing seal array, which would keep it as fresh as the day he applied it, as well as preserving any additions he would need to make to it, though he would need to deactivate the preservation seal first and then reactivate it once he finished the modifications.

As he finished showing her around the library, he brought her into the room where they would be discussing what he had brought her over to discuss. As he showed her into the lab/workshop area, he created a shadow clone instructing him to bring them a tray of drinks and then get started on dinner. The clone gave a smart two-fingered salute before disappearing in a yellow flash.

Naruto turned his attention to his guest once again, who was looking around the room, specifically at the level of detailed information that were on the massive whiteboards adorning all of the walls.

"What do you think?" asked Naruto, bringing her out of her awestruck daze once again.

"Err…well…" Kurenai started, before collecting herself and continuing, "I…don't really know what to think…"

Naruto smiled in understanding as he continued, "Well, if you'll come to this board over here…" he said as he led her to the whiteboard that was on the left wall in the back of the room, "…these are a good portion of the notes that I have on the project I was telling you about."

He turned his attention back to her, "You see, because of the size of my chakra reserves, I'll never have the level of control needed to cast even the smallest genjutsu…so I decided to focus my efforts in this particular art to finding ways to counter them. I figure that even if I can't cast them, I can at least make every effort to make sure that I can't be overcome by them. So, as you can see, I started studying genjutsu theory with that particular premise in mind."

Kurenai nodded as Naruto led her to his desk, showing her the various documents and notes that he had compiled as part of this study. The clone that Naruto had sent to the kitchen had brought back a pitcher of lemonade and a pitcher of ice water with two glasses. Naruto thanked his clone before the clone flashed out again to continue preparing dinner. Naruto continued to explain to her that his study included the workings of the chakra system, learning how to discover the feel of one's own chakra, which led to him actually developing certain methods of directly controlling his own inner chakra flow, and even detecting foreign chakra the moment it invades his body, as each person's chakra signature is as unique as their fingerprint or their retinal pattern. Kurenai immediately saw the genius of this particular approach to countering genjutsu; if this project yielded fruit, Naruto could very well have created a sub-discipline of genjutsu that could save countless lives of genjutsu-deficient shinobi on the battlefield.

Naruto explained to her that he still needed to create a few test case scenarios so that he could run some clinical trials on what he had found. Kurenai, understanding the field of genjutsu better than anyone else in the village, could be instrumental in creating a comprehensive set of test cases to run through, which she found herself to be very excited about doing. They spent some time outlining the specifics of the trials that would need to be run, from the starting conditions to the ending conditions, as well as the expected results of each method that Naruto had outlined in his study, and specifics on how to quantify the results of each trial. Kurenai grew more and more excited about the day when they could present this to the Hokage for introduction into the Academy, or even for trials in the field under much more erratic conditions.

After a couple of hours, they had finished creating the basics of their test plan. Naruto would fill in the blanks and the rest of the details to have a complete set of clinical trials ready to run in a week's time. It was at this point that Naruto remembered about Kurenai's little 'plateau'.

"Oh…Kurenai?" asked Naruto, waiting as Kurenai turned her gaze to him, "I have an idea as to what might be causing your chakra plateau…"

Kurenai looked at him expectantly as he paused briefly before continuing, "How are your ninjutsu and your taijutsu?"

She answered him honestly in a tone that belied no feelings or opinion on the matter in one direction or another, "Both are quite lacking, to be honest. If it wasn't for the fact that I'm better at genjutsu than even the Five Kages are, I'd only be a special jounin, and not an elite one. I'd say that with the ninjutsu that I do know, I have jounin-level mastery of them, but I only really know the substitution, the transformation, the clone and the teleportation. My taijutsu is the Academy-style with a few things I've thrown in, but I'd say that I can fight with that at solid chunin level."

Naruto nodded knowingly before giving her his analysis of her problem, "I think your problem lies in the fact that you have so few ninjutsu, as well as being lacking in taijutsu. Most jounin have the ability to manipulate their chakra into at least two elements, and from what you told me about the chakra control exercises that you know, there are two vital types of chakra control exercise that you're missing: one is change in chakra shape, such as what Suna's puppeteers do with their chakra strings, and the other is change in chakra nature, which is how we make our elemental ninjutsu more effective, and also how medical ninjas turn their chakra into medical chakra. Let's take the Second Hokage's Infinite Darkness Jutsu: it requires both great control and some pretty good-size reserves, both of which you're finding to be beyond your current level, right?"

Kurenai nodded in response, paying rapt attention to his explanation.

Naruto continued, "Well, one thing you'll remember about Tobirama Senju was that not only did he have very formidable skills in genjutsu, but his main strength was his control over water-based ninjutsu, specifically, both his ability to change the chakra's shape into streams, waves, walls, etc., and also his chakra's nature, from normal chakra into water-based chakra, both of which added to the degree of control he had over his own chakra. On top of that, he was also able to use space/time ninjutsu almost to the level that my father could, and his physical battle prowess was on Might Guy's level if not beyond it. Being able to add precise amounts of chakra to his blows and his weapons also did a great deal to build both his control and his reserves. It was all of these different ways of controlling chakra that he employed that, combined together, gave him the overall degree of control required to use genjutsu as effectively as he could."

Kurenai frowned in both thought and mild frustration at this. She could somehow sense in her gut that what he was staying was spot on, but she was also mildly frustrated that it wasn't until now that she had become aware of the problem. Deciding that continued frustration would serve no purpose, she nodded in acceptance of Naruto's analysis.

"So…I now know my problem; do you have any ideas as to how I can fix it?" she asked in honest curiosity.

"Actually, yes," replied Naruto, currently seeing several steps that she could take in correcting her problem, "I think the first two things we'll need to do are to train your body and your physical battle skills, using chakra to enhance them at the same time, and also help you with training change in chakra nature. Do you know what your primary elemental affinity is?"

"Fire is my main element," responded Kurenai.

"OK, we can start there. Do you know the Shadow Clone jutsu?"

"No, I don't"

"Well, all you need to do is create this hand-sign," he showed her the cross-fingered hand-sign for the Shadow Clone Jutsu, "and pump as much chakra as you can into it. Since you already have jounin-level reserves, you won't have to worry about chakra exhaustion on your first attempt."

Kurenai placed her fingers together as Naruto had demonstrated, molded as much chakra as she could, and shouted, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

To both their surprise, fifteen clones of Kurenai came into existence. Naruto looked at the original to see that she was panting slightly. In a tone showing how impressed he was, he said, "Very good…to get it on your very first try like that; it says a lot about the chakra control you have already, and it looks like this is about your safe limit at the moment. Remember what I said about shadow clones sending their experiences back to the user? What you're going to do is create about five shadow clones at a time right now, and use them to train your fire manipulation, while we train your body and give you more options with armed and unarmed combat, while also working on adding chakra to your physical combat skills."

Kurenai smiled, somewhat tiredly at this, as she nodded, thankful that Naruto would take the time to help her as she would to help him. Naruto told her to go ahead and dispel her clones, as since they hadn't taken the time to learn or do anything, she could safely dispel them without a backlash. She did so, feeling some of her chakra returning to her. As she dispelled them, Naruto's clone came back in to inform them that dinner was ready.

Naruto nodded in thanks, at which the clone dispelled, giving Naruto its memories of preparing some broiled fish and rice with a vegetable stir-fry, as well as some octopus with wasabi, and two chocolate parfaits for dessert. Naruto smiled at this, knowing Kurenai would be delighted at tonight's meal.

Before headin up to dinner, however, Naruto took the time to work out a rough training schedule for him and Kurenai over the next week before they would be adding the clinical trials for genjutsu countering into the mix, which only took a few minutes. After this was done, Naruto motioned to her as he said, "Well, are you ready for dinner?"

She smiled and nodded, "Yes, I am. I'm actually quite hungry."

"Well, then let's go eat," he responded with a smile as he led her to the teleportation seal and brought her back to the main level.

* * *

><p>Once they got to the main level, the smells of delectably prepared dishes flooded their senses, causing their mouths to water. Naruto led Kurenai to the dining room table and pulled a chair out for her, allowing her to sit down. As Kurenai looked at the spread, she gasped audibly and grinned from ear to ear as she noticed her favorite dish among them. She allowed Naruto to prepare her plate, which included a portion of every dish at the table. As he put it down in front of her, he also poured her a small glass of vanilla-flavored vodka, causing her to smile even more.<p>

"Naruto, thank you so much! You didn't have to do all this…" she responded in a tone that once again belied her gratitude.

Naruto simply chuckled and smiled, "Hey, it's no problem at all; I'm glad to do something like this for you."

After Naruto quickly prepared his own plate, he took the seat to Kurenai's immediate right at the round dining room table. They both gave a quick blessing and began to savor the meal before them, Kurenai at times closing her eyes and moaning at the overload of sensations that her taste buds were currently experiencing, "Naruto…this is wonderful!"

"Well, thank you! I'm glad you think so, as the chef never gets tired of compliments to his cooking," he responded jovially, enjoying both his meal, and the opportunity that he was taking advantage of to entertain a first-time visitor to his home. As they ate, they began to talk, getting to know each other more. They would share stories about some of their more notable missions, whether "notable" meant "embarrassing," such as a few of Naruto's escapades while on his training trip with Jiraiya, or Kurenai's attempts at staying sane on some missions that involved Kiba, or "life-defining," such as Naruto's mission to Wave, guarding Tazuna, where a rogue ninja, known for being a bloodthirsty killer, became one of the men who would play a key role in molding Naruto into who he was today, or Kurenai's teaching of Yakumo Kurama before she had to seal her Id monster. After a while, as they were eating dessert, Kurenai, seeing all of the seals throughout Naruto's house, decided to indulge her curiosity.

"So Naruto, the seals that you have throughout the property, here…what do they all do?" she asked, in a tone that showed her piqued interest in an art of which she had only rudimentary knowledge.

"Well…" Naruto began, "…they do all kinds of things. The ones you saw on the wall outside, for example, have several functions. They reinforce the strength of the wall, enabling it to withstand all kinds of attacks by dispersing the force applied to a single spot and redistributing it throughout the wall, rendering both physical attacks and ninjutsu-based attacks against it ineffective. They also prevent anyone from being able to use chakra to stick to it, so that nobody can run up the wall and climb over the top of it. But, even if they were to somehow get to the top of the wall, there are perimeter seals lined all along the top that would force any intruder that tried to cross the perimeter back out. The seal you saw on the gate is a locking mechanism that only recognizes the chakra signatures that I permit to be programmed into it. These systems allow me to completely control who can enter and who can't, making it the single, most secure structure in Konoha."

Kurenai's eyes widened in surprise at this revelation; even with her own knowledge of sealing, however fundamental it might be, she didn't realize that the kinds of things that Naruto had done with just his front gate and perimeter wall could be done at all, and certainly not with the precision that Naruto had explained to have done it with.

Naruto continued, "There are also some environmental control seals that I can use to regulate all kinds of environmental factors on the property: temperature, humidity, wind speed, precipitation, you name it."

Kurenai's amazement at what Naruto could do using seals grew as Naruto continued to explain, "Now in the house, I've created several different other types of systems," he pointed to some of his appliances that were in sight of the table, and to several spots on the walls, "You notice these seals, here?"

Kurenai nodded, listening intently as Naruto continued, "Well, instead of power drawn from the village's generators, I actually installed a complex system of seal arrays that enable the collection of nature energy out of the air, similar to when I gather nature energy to enter sage mode, and convert it into either normal chakra, or electricity, which provides power to the house and all of the other facilities on the grounds, as well as keeping the seals on the perimeter wall powered up: as they are always on, they need a power source to draw from."

Kurenai's amazement could not be any more pronounced than it currently was. So many questions entered her mind about this obscure ninja art that Naruto had somehow taken to mastering, but as they were going as fast as they were coming, she decided to voice the ones that mattered to her the most, "So, is there more that you can do with fuinjutsu?"

Naruto responded with some enthusiasm, "Oh, believe me…what I've told you…it's just the tip of the iceberg. You can do just about anything with seals; fuinjutsu is far and away the most versatile, most flexible, and most dangerous ninja art out there. It can do **anything** that any other ninja art can do, even taijutsu and kenjutsu…" Kurenai raised her eyebrows in surprise at this, "…and it can do an infinite number of things that **none of the others** can do. As powerful as I am now, the only type of opponent I'd ever fear facing would be another sealmaster."

Kurenai simply sat there in shock, reflecting on what Naruto had just admitted to her. Naruto's respect for fuinjutsu as a leading authority on the subject was not lost on her, and the idea that he would fear facing another sealmaster in battle, when he had faced down and beaten opponents such as Pain and Madara Uchiha, **without fear**, gave her a whole new level of respect and fear for the art…while also piquing her curiosity and interest in learning more. In the back of her mind, she starting mulling over the idea of asking Naruto to take her on as an apprentice so that she might learn more of this art than she currently knew, which admittedly wasn't much.

Naruto continued after a brief pause, breaking her out of her musings once more, "Oh…one point of interest is that I was able to create a method to counter the Caged Bird Seal of the Hyuuga Branch Family."

"Really?" asked Kurenai with surprised curiosity, "I know that Hinata always wanted to abolish the Caged Bird Seal…"

Naruto eyes seemed to darken when she mentioned Hinata's name, which did not go unnoticed by Kurenai. Kurenai narrowed her eyes at this, a thoughtful frown adorning her soft features, "…oh…I'm sorry, Naruto."

Naruto gave a weak, understanding smile, "No…that's OK. It's not your problem…it's mine."

Kurenai's frown deepened at his response. She took a moment to study him, looking into his eyes. She was surprised at how much they revealed to her: the same pain, isolation and loneliness that she had seen in a young, undersized genin with Naruto's face several years ago…but there was something different about it this time. It might have just been her experience with these same feelings in the last four years or so, but for the first time, she was about to understand and empathize with him.

In a moment of boldness, she decided to ask the uncomfortable question, "Do you…need to talk about this, Naruto?"

Naruto brought his gaze up to her, actually meeting her eyes. Looking into them, he realized that behind those mesmerizing ruby orbs was a woman who seemed to really know how he felt. He had caught the word "need", as opposed to the word "want" in her question; he could tell that she knew he didn't necessarily **want** to talk about it…but he truly did feel the need to. He hadn't talked about this with anyone except Hiashi, and that was only because Hiashi brought it up with him in order to persuade him to try to fix the issue.

Naruto sighed, "Yeah, I think I do," he began as he took a breath to compose his thoughts, trying to determine where exactly to begin, "Hinata's been…a particular sore spot for me ever since the war."

He frowned before continuing, Kurenai simply waiting quietly for him to continue at his own pace, giving him her undivided attention. He finished collecting his thoughts and proceeded, "I just…can't help but wonder how someone so warm and caring…could become as cold and as heartless as she has. When we started our relationship,even though we were in a war zone where anything could happen, we were happy at first. As she started to change, it…it hurt me so much…I was watching it happen, and I…I couldn't do anything to stop it…and Kami only knows, I tried. I know she wasn't well-respected in camp; even Hiashi and Hanabi didn't treat her with any respect as a comrade, and it…it finally just got to be too much for her, you know?"

Kurenai nodded, her face having saddened at the question; like Naruto, she had also tried to turn her from that path, ironically pointing to Naruto as the example to follow. Hinata, however, for the first time, when looking at Naruto, instead of being inspired, lost faith, believing that she would never have his strength. She had finally been overwhelmed and broken by the coldness and seeming hatred directed at her from her supposed comrades in the camp, as well as from her own family. What entered her heart afterwards was frightening, and became the cause of nightmares for many.

Naruto continued, "I tried to encourage her…let her know that I was there for her. It was like…I don't know…like she just decided to allow herself a little taste of hatred…and when she did, it was like she just…enjoyed the feeling; she just seemed to…exult in it, and she even became proud of it after a while. It was…almost like watching Sasuke all over again. It's actually what caused our relationship to end…and she just got worse from there…"

Kurenai, knowing exactly what Naruto was talking about, took a moment to interrupt his thoughts, "You know, I saw the same thing you did. I loved her like a daughter…the truth is that I still do…but her growing coldness and hatred just...made having any kind of loving and positive relationship with her impossible. She and I don't talk anymore, either, for the very same reason…and I…I was so angry with her after I heard about what she did to Hanabi…"

Naruto closed his eyes and nodded sadly, remembering the first time Konohamaru brought his new fiancée over to his home…in the wheelchair that she had to spend most of her time confined to. It was Konohamaru who had told him that Hanabi had suffered her injuries at Hinata's hands: Hanabi could not walk now without the assistance of either a walker or someone she could lean against for support, and even then, she could only do it for short periods of time before vertigo and dizziness would get the better of her. She could no longer mold chakra properly without severe pain, she would never be able to fight again, and these injuries were untreatable; the damage had been too extensive to repair completely. She was little more than a cripple, now, and it was painful to see.

While Naruto's thoughts were occupied with Hinata's journey into darkness, Kurenai thought back once more to the times where she had tried to steer Hinata back to who she was, and the one point that seemed to stand out more than any other in her mind was Naruto's example. This brought her thoughts to the times that she had watched the tall blond whose company she was now enjoying. She remembered watching his fight with Kiba in their first Chunin Exam preliminaries, completely writing Naruto off as the loser in the fight, only to watch as, beaten, battered and bloody, he continued to stand back up, again…and again…and again. He just would not stay down…and in the end, he won the fight, shocking everyone there…except Kakashi…and strangely enough, Asuma, now that she thought about it. Even in retrospect of his victory against Kiba, she, along with almost everyone else in the stadium at the Final Round a month later, had written Naruto off once more as someone who didn't stand a chance…only to be proven wrong **again**.

How many other instances could she point to? Naruto had believed in Kurenai as a sensei…at a time where Kurenai couldn't even believe in herself. Naruto was able to help Kurenai's estranged student Yakumo to overcome her own inner demon; in effect it was Naruto who brought her and her team back together, while at the same time playing an instrumental role in healing the damaged bond between Kurenai and her first apprentice. Then…there was the fight against Pain. She was indoors, sedated in the medical ward, having just miscarried her and Asuma's child due to being hit by falling debris, but she had heard about the fight…mostly from Sakura and Hinata, and listening as the rest of the village confirmed what she had been told: Naruto had defeated an opponent who had not only never lost a battle, but whom the Hokage herself could not touch.

She had seen Naruto around a few times after that, but it was always in passing. Even with his random outbursts of hyperactive joy, he never looked truly happy to her, even being worshiped as a hero; the only exception being when he and Hinata first decided to become involved with each other, and even that was short-lived as Hinata's descent into hatred and callousness began. Through it all, whether he was labeled as the village pariah, the village idiot, or the village hero, he always had the same look in his eyes…the same look he had right now: pain…isolation…loneliness…at least with regards to when he was reminded of his past. But…somehow there was more; seeing the same eyes any time she looked into a mirror in recent memory, Kurenai could see that he was still quite lonely.

"Naruto?" asked Kurenai, in an effort to get his attention.

Naruto abruptly came out of his reflections as he blinked and turned to her, "Yeah?"

"Do you still talk with any of the Konoha Eleven, or your old senseis?" she asked, curious yet concerned.

Naruto gave a wry smile and a bittersweet chuckle at her question, "It's that easy for you to see huh?"

She nodded with an apologetic grimace on her face.

"Well, Shikamaru and I talk as often as we can. He's my best friend from the Konoha Eleven right now, and he's actually been a phenomenal help to me since I got back from training with Pervy Sage…" Kurenai giggled at the term of endearment that Naruto had given Jiraiya, remembering how much it used to annoy the Toad Sannin to be called that.

Naruto smiled at her giggle before continuing, "…did you know that it was Kakashi who came up with the shadow clone training method?"

Kurenai shook her head, "No, I didn't realize that."

"Well, he came up with it specifically for me…at the time, I needed to be able to take years worth of training and condense it into days. I had learned that I was a wind-type, and Kakashi was training me in how to change the nature of my chakra into wind chakra. It would take a lot longer for me to master than most, because my ungodly huge chakra levels inhibit my control like you wouldn't believe."

Naruto sighed as he knew this could drag a while if he didn't get to the point, "Well, long story short, I mastered the training, and used it to create my Wind Style: Rasengan, and Wind Style: Rasenshuriken. Well, even though I was recognized as a powerful ninja, I was still considered a moron by just about everyone. While we were on the front during the war, Shikamaru requested that I be transferred under his command. He remembered some of the harebrained, on-the-fly battle plans that I would come up with when he and I were on missions together, and he had remembered Kakashi's training of my chakra nature. Shikamaru thought that if it would work with my chakra, why couldn't he apply the same method to sharpen my mind as well?"

Kurenai raised both eyebrows in surprise at this. _'So that's how it happened…'_ she mused, remembering the glint of intelligence that she had seen in his eyes for the first time today.

"Needless to say…" continued Naruto, in an effort to wrap his story up, "after countless hours of groups of clones reading the exact same books under different environmental conditions, and after multiple games of shogi played against both Shikamaru and myself…hundreds of times over, Shikamaru began to notice that not only was I learning the things that were in all of those books more effectively, my ability to think became a lot sharper as well. Shikamaru continued training my brain this way, and he also started pulling Grandma Tsunade in to run medical scans on my brain after telling her about my training and the results. Grandma discovered that my brain was making more and more accelerated neural connections, and my IQ was also going up in leaps and bounds…nice little side-effect of this was that my chakra control got a little better, as my mental started to catch up to my physical a little bit…"

Kurenai asked curiously, "So what is your IQ now?"

Naruto answered with just a hint of pride, "Right now, my IQ is about on par with Shikamaru's."

"Wow," said Kurenai, in quiet astonishment. She hadn't realized that he had gotten **that** smart. Though, knowing Shikamaru the way she did, this is probably the end he had in mind when he started training Naruto's mind. If what Naruto said wasn't an exaggeration, then even Sakura's intelligence now paled in comparison to his own.

_'Sakura…'_ thought Kurenai, reminded of the question she had originally asked him.

"So, do you still talk to anyone from the old Team Kakashi?"

"Sai died in the last battle of the war…" Kurenai nodded sadly, remembering when they had held his funeral and carved his name onto the Memorial Stone, "Kakashi…doesn't really do the whole 'friends outside of work' thing. We talk pretty regularly, and we even train and spar together, still, but that's about it, and if Kakashi's OK with that, so am I. Sakura…that's kind of a strange situation…" he trailed off, trying to figure out how to explain his and Sakura's estrangement.

"How do you mean?" mused Kurenai with a curious frown.

"Sakura…hasn't talked to me since I killed Sasuke," Kurenai seemed to immediately grow angry at this, but Naruto quickly stepped in, raising his hands to her in an effort to calm her down as he continued, "She doesn't hate me for it; she…she knows that I did what I had to do. And I know that she doesn't wish any ill will on me or anything like that. But the simple truth is that she loved him, traitor or not. Her avoidance of me is…mainly so that she won't say or do something that she'll regret later. She…knows she shouldn't have felt the way she did, but she also knows herself well enough to know that more often than not, she thinks with her heart and not with her head. I avoid her because I don't like getting hit when she has lapses in impulse control. She'll come around when she's ready; I know she will."

Kurenai seemed satisfied with this answer. After Naruto explained to her that he and the others had just sort of grown apart over the years. They had their own responsibilities with their distinctive careers and as clan heirs, where Naruto was a unique case: he was a clan head, not a clan heir, and he was Konoha's only sealmaster as well as the Toad Sage. The scope of his duties, even though he didn't go on too many missions, as well as the magnitude of his responsibilities put him in a position where he would not be able to interact with them much, if at all. This, of course, didn't help the fact that he still felt somewhat isolated.

And yet…the strength of character and generosity of spirit that he displayed throughout his life never once wavered; never once did he give up; never once did he let the hurt and anguish he was feeling get the better of him. She couldn't help but wonder where his inner strength came from. The more she thought about it, the more she had to know.

"Umm…" she began hesitantly, not sure if this was an appropriate question or not. She chose to err on the side of caution, "Can I ask you a question of a…personal nature?"

"Shoot," he responded, affirmatively.

Kurenai began, "Well…I've seen people like…Sasuke and Hinata…surrender to either their own inner demons, or to demons that others plagued them with…and I remember the times I've watched you over the years…I need to ask you…" the tone of her voice became much more earnest as she asked, "…how do you find the strength to keep moving forward, and becoming a better and better man, when so many others have completely collapsed having faced far less? How are you able to keep going?"

Naruto adopted a thoughtful pose to this question, determining how best to answer. A smile slowly crept onto his face as he remembered her desire to hear him sing and see him perform.

He looked at her with a knowing gaze as he answered, "You said you wanted me to perform for you, right?"

Her eyes widened at this question as he continued, "Well, I think I know the best way to answer your question."

He stood up and offered a hand to assist her out of her chair as he said, "Come with me."

She took his hand, allowing his to assist her to a standing position before letting go of his hand and following him to the teleportation seal. Naruto transported them to the second-level basement, and led her into the recording studio. After creating a few shadow clones, who immediately started getting to work setting up instruments and connecting all of the accompanying equipment, Naruto then led her into the director's booth so that she could listen from there.

Kurenai waited patiently while Naruto and his clones set up the instruments that they would be playing for the song he had in mind: two standard electric guitars, one for rhythm guitar and one for lead guitar, a bass guitar, a steel guitar, a keyboard programmed to sound like a grand piano, and a drum set. She found herself getting a little excited about hearing Naruto perform, believing that it would be quite an experience.

Naruto spoke, "Now, Kurenai, I'm going to ask you to bear with me here, because nobody's ever heard me sing before. This song is called 'Do Something', and I heard it a couple of years ago; it just kind of…resonated with me, because it's how I've tried to approach my life. So…here goes; let me know what you think afterwards, OK?" and as Kurenai nodded, he began to strum on his guitar.

* * *

><p><strong>(Listen to "Do Something," by the Eagles) - lyrics in black and bold (1)<strong>

After the short opening, Naruto began to sing in the most melodic, clear and beautiful tenor that Kurenai had ever heard,

**I've been walkin' through the fields  
><strong>**And on the streets of town  
><strong>**Trying to make sense of what you left me**

Kurenai found herself to be very surprised as his clones began to play the remaining instruments in time with Naruto.

**Everything that I believed in  
><strong>**Has been turned upside down  
><strong>**And now it seems the whole wide world's gone crazy**

Kurenai simply continued to listen, becoming enraptured with Naruto's voice.

**And when I feel like giving up  
><strong>**And I'm ready to walk away  
><strong>**In the stillness, I can hear  
><strong>**A voice inside me say**

Kurenai's eyes began to water as she heard Naruto and all of his clones sing in beautiful harmony, singing both the lead and background parts. The crooning of the clones to Naruto's lead vocals moved her more, still.

**Do something  
><strong>**Do something  
><strong>**It's too late for saving face  
><strong>**Don't just stand there taking up space  
><strong>**Why don't you do something?  
><strong>**Do something  
><strong>**It's not over  
><strong>**No, it's never too late**

**You were always on my side  
><strong>**Love was all we had  
><strong>**Now I sit and watch our life unraveling**

**I pick up the morning paper  
><strong>**And all the news is bad  
><strong>**How did we get on this road we're traveling?**

**And when I feel like giving up  
><strong>**And there's nowhere left to go  
><strong>**That's the time I dig down deep  
><strong>**The only thing I know**

**Do something  
><strong>**Do something  
><strong>**Don't leave it up to someone else  
><strong>**Don't feel sorry for yourself  
><strong>**Why don't you do something?  
><strong>**Do something  
><strong>**It's not over  
><strong>**No, it's never too late**

Kurenai's complete attention became more and more fixated upon her blond host as he continued to perform for her. Intense emotion continued to well up inside of her, threatening to burst forth as Naruto continued singing and playing.

**Run away  
><strong>**You can't run away  
><strong>**On your honor  
><strong>**For your pride  
><strong>**You'll sleep better  
><strong>**Knowing you tried**

As the Narutos extended the note on "tried", and the harmonies continued to blend, Kurenai found herself so overwhelmed by the beauty of what she was listening to that she could no longer hold her tears back. They freely began to flow as she began to sniffle, a few involuntary sobs escaping, Kurenai being all the more overwhelmed knowing that Naruto was singing this song from his heart and his life experiences.

**To do something  
><strong>**Do something  
><strong>**It's too easy not to care  
><strong>**You're not ready for the rockin' chair  
><strong>**Get up and do something  
><strong>**Do something  
><strong>**Don't wait too long  
><strong>**Even if it's wrong  
><strong>**You've got to do something  
><strong>**Do something  
><strong>**It's not over  
><strong>**No, it's never too late**

* * *

><p>Naruto played the last few notes of the song and closed it out, he and his "band" placing instruments back on their stands before he dismissed his clones. He asked, "So how'd I do?" to Kurenai as he turned to her, noticing her stand up from the couch she was on. He saw that she was crying, on the verge of sobbing, her eyes wide in a mix of shock and awe. This caused him to frown in concern.<p>

He was about to ask if she was alright as she spoke in a voice that was equally thick with tears, "You've…never sang in front of…anyone else before? E-ever?"

Naruto, still frowning, shook his head, "No…"

Kurenai shook her head in disbelief, speaking in a tone just above a whisper, "You…you have…the most amazing voice…I've ever heard."

Naruto blushed at this, and gave an embarrassed smile and chuckle, "Err…th-thanks!"

"Why me?"

Naruto frowned again, this time in confusion, "Hmm?"

Kurenai elaborated, still in tears, "Why did you choose to reveal this…part of yourself…to me, of all people…when you've never revealed it to anyone else? What have I done to deserve all this?"

Naruto simply smiled warmly as he answered, "You asked. You not only asked me to perform for you, but you also asked me a question that…probably took some guts for you to put out there. Nobody else has ever done that with me; not even the few people that really do know me…and I appreciate the fact that you want to see the person behind all the talk."

Kurenai couldn't help but smile in return, tears still falling. She walked up to him, taking one of his hands in both of hers, and looked him dead in the eye.

"Naruto, you've made what started out to be a terrible day for me…and turned it into a day filled with…wonderful surprises. You've opened up…whole new worlds for me, first with your genjutsu countering project, then with…telling me so much about sealing, and just now, by…playing for me."

She paused for just a moment, holding his gaze with her own, "Thank you…for sharing things that are…so special with me…and also…for allowing me to get to really know you a little more."

Naruto smiled warmly at her in return as he responded back, "I was glad to let you in, Kurenai…thanks for allowing me a peek at who you really are, as well."

Kurenai nodded, letting go of his hand, the smile never leaving her face. She was reminded of her desire to learn sealing, so she asked, "Umm…you're already doing so much for me…but I was wondering if you…maybe…wouldn't mind taking me on as…an apprentice and teaching me fuinjutsu?"

Naruto's eyes lit up at this, much to Kurenai's delight. Never before had anyone shown any degree of interest in fuinjutsu that would merit learning from him. With a wide grin, he exclaimed enthusiastically, "I'd be glad, and honored to! I've been wanting to teach someone else about sealing for a while now!"

Kurenai couldn't help but laugh warmly at his enthusiasm. She nodded and thanked him. As they both continued looking at each other, silence ensued. With nothing to say, each of them couldn't help but take notice of the other. It wasn't long before both of their faces began to get warmer. After a few moments, Naruto broke the stare-off as he began to scratch the back of his head sheepishly, and turned to look at the clock on the wall.

His eyes widened in surprise at the time: it was 9:30 in the evening.

"Wow…I didn't realize how late it was!" he exclaimed in his surprise.

Kurenai turned to look at the clock, herself, "Wow..it is getting late!"

Turning back to Naruto, she said with no small amount of regret, "Well, I guess we probably should call it a night, huh?"

Naruto nodded, just as regretfully, "Yeah…tomorrow we start your training, and I'll also add a couple of extra hours for fuinjutsu instruction, so we probably ought to get a good night's rest."

Naruto led Kurenai back to the teleportation seal, taking them back to the main level. Naruto then led Kurenai to the front door, and escorted her outside. Kurenai gasped in surprise once more as the marble walkway began to illuminate before the pair making their way to the front gate of the grounds, Naruto unsealing the gates, allowing them to open to that Kurenai could exit the property.

Ever the gentleman, Naruto asked, "Might I escort you home?"

Kurenai shook her head, "No thank you, Naruto. While I do appreciate the offer, you need rest as much as I do. So I'll just teleport myself home."

Naruto nodded in understanding, "Very well, then. Good night, Kurenai; I'll see you here tomorrow morning at eight?"

Kurenai nodded, "I'll see you here…"

Kurenai walked up to Naruto and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. Naruto gently pulled her in as she gently squeezed him a little tighter, "Thank you, Naruto…for today."

She pulled away, wishing him a good night before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto wistfully smiled as he reflected on today's turn of events. He resealed the gate and went back into the house. Noting the mess that had been left behind after dinner, he took a few moments to clean the dishes off the table and put them in his dishwasher. After he started it, he left for his bedroom, and, realizing just how tired he was, he put his sleepwear on and got into his bed, falling asleep almost immediately upon hitting the pillow, his last conscious thoughts on what tomorrow would bring for both him and his new apprentice/partner.

* * *

><p><strong>Sources Cited:<strong>  
><strong>(1) Eagles, "Do Something," <span>Long Road Out Of Eden<span>, Polydor, 2007**

**And that's a wrap for chapter 2! Hmm…so many questions: What caused Hinata to cripple Hanabi? How did Konohamaru and Hanabi become engaged? What did Hiashi discuss with Naruto? And most importantly…what's going to happen tomorrow? Stay tuned and find out!**

**Future updates may be a bit slower…these first two chapters have actually been in the works for a few months, but I promise that I will update as often as possible.**

**Please read and review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto does.**

**Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed and shown such great interest in this story! The more I see the stats climbing, the more surprised I get. The reviews that you all give me encourage me to continue working, so please review as you read!**

* * *

><p>Konoha had begun to warm up a bit as mid-January rolled around. That cold spell, along with a lot of the rain that accompanied it, left a lot of people sick in bed. Anko Umino had been one of them. Granted, since she and Iruka had gotten married, she no longer went around essentially flashing everyone she came across, but she didn't exactly dress for cold weather, either. The only real difference in her dress style while on duty was that she would wear dark orange shorts that extended mid-thigh in place of the too-short skirt that she used to wear, and she also wore a black halter top over her fishnets. She still wore the tan trench coat and shin guards, and kept her hair in the same pineapple-style ponytail that she had always had it in.<p>

While better at staving off the cold than her previous style of dress would have been, it certainly wasn't **much** better. Of course, being a stubborn one, she would not be told, by Iruka or anyone else, that she should cover up to keep herself warm. When that flu bug hit her, she spent every moment in bed wishing she had heeded her husband. But that was in the past, and she had happier things to occupy her thoughts with right now!

Anko had been pleasantly surprised when her best friend Kurenai invited her to lunch a couple of days ago. It had been so long since the two of them had really spent quality time together or talked about anything significant that Anko sometimes felt that the two of them were drifting apart, and that had bothered her. So, when Kurenai invited her to her favorite restaurant for lunch and girl-time, she happily accepted! Anko was currently sitting at her personal table in her culinary haven, the Dango Pit, waiting for Kurenai to show up.

She didn't have to wait for long as Kurenai walked in. She was wearing the same smile she had on when she first caught up with Anko and invited her to lunch. The fact that Kurenai was smiling at all these days struck Anko as a bit out of the ordinary, but to see her wearing it now as well? She was curious as to what would make Kurenai this happy when for the last four years or so, happiness had been nothing more than an abstract idea to the woman. Kurenai looked straight at Anko and waved to her, heading over to join her at the table that the two always ate at when they came here.

"Well, you've certainly been a lot more chipper lately; what's going on?" asked Anko with a curious smirk as Kurenai sat down.

"Quite a lot actually," started Kurenai, "I've been participating in a major project and I've been getting additional training."

A sparkle of intriguing mirth could be seen in Kurenai's vermilion orbs as she added, "I've also been given an apprenticeship."

"Really?" asked Anko, now even more intrigued, "Come on, don't keep me in suspense, here. Tell me about it all. What brought all this on?"

Kurenai began to recall the tale, "Well…it started last week; you know what I always do on **that** day…"

Anko nodded and narrowed her eyes, focusing on Kurenai as she told her story.

Kurenai continued, "Well, everything started pretty much the same way as it did during the previous three years. This time, though, luck would have it that it rained rather hard that day, and it was also one of the colder days of this cold spell that we just got out of. I was wearing pretty much what you see me in now…" Kurenai brought her hands up and moved them over herself to indicate the bandage-dress that she was currently wearing before proceeding, "…and I felt that if I were to go home to get some raingear, that I just wouldn't be able to get back out there – so I decided to take my chances.

"It started raining after I was at the cemetery, and I was there for a good solid hour or more. I heard a few perverts off in the distance talking about what they wanted to do to me…" at this, Anko responded with a frown that displayed both anger and disgust as Kurenai continued, "…and then, a few seconds later, I felt a coat draped over me. I looked up to see who put it on me, and it was Naruto Namikaze of all people. It was his sage cloak."

Kurenai's eyes almost seemed to gloss over as she began to recall the rest of the story, "Looking back, I'm not sure what it was, but…when he just gave me a sad smile – I don't know, it was like…" she paused, trying to find the right words, "It was like I could tell that he somehow understood me at that moment. As I looked at him…it was like, the dam just broke, and I just started letting everything I was feeling out…right into his shirt," she added with a chuckle as Anko just smiled in an amused fashion and nodded, waiting for her to continue.

She did, "Well, after that, he activated a seal in his cloak that dried me off and got me warm, and then he left me alone so I could finish visiting Asuma. When I got up to leave, he was waiting for me at the gate. It was still raining, so he wouldn't let me give his cloak back to him."

Anko smiled knowingly as Kurenai had told her this, _'Leave it to my little bro to do something like that for a person in pain; he always does seem to know how to help…'_

Kurenai continued once again, "Well, after that, we just started talking, and we went to Ichiraku's for some lunch. We both got to know each other…you know, I learned so much about him that I didn't know, and I was shown that some things about him that I thought I knew were completely wrong…but anyway, we just talked, and he told me about a project he was working on that he was actually going to find me to ask for input on, anyway. So he invited me into his home -"

"He invited you into his **home?**" interrupted Anko, slamming her hands down on the table and leaning forward, openly showing her surprise at this turn of events. Kurenai instinctively leaned backwards wide-eyed, not expecting such a reaction from Anko.

Backing off the table and her hands, Anko continued, "Kurenai, do you have any idea just how many people have been invited inside that house?"

Kurenai, not having moved from her position nor changed her facial expression, shook her head in the negative.

"Me, Iruka, Konohamaru, Hanabi Hyuuga, Shikamaru and Temari," Anko leaned forward again as she finished, "…and that's it! Not even the Hokage has been inside his house."

Kurenai's eyes seemed to grow even wider as her eyebrows shot up. She began to explain the situation, "Well, the reason I was in his house is because that's where he kept all of his research for the project."

Anko narrowed her eyes at this, "Hmmm…well, OK," she said, not sounding convinced of her reasoning before putting a smile back on and bringing her back to the story, "Sorry to interrupt, please continue."

Kurenai seemed to trail off in an effort to collect her thoughts after being interrupted before continuing, but with what would qualify for Kurenai as great excitement and enthusiasm, "…Naruto's essentially creating an entirely new sub-discipline of genjutsu that would give any ninja who's weak against genjutsu a fighting chance against a strong genjutsu user! What's he's doing is creating a series of techniques and methods that could in theory counter any genjutsu thrown at someone. And it's really coming along! When he showed me his notes and his research, I was stunned at the level of thought and detail he had put into this. He's using everything from basic to advanced chakra theory, to the study of the chakra network from a medical standpoint; it's incredible, what he's working to accomplish!

"But anyway, after that, he made dinner to thank me for his help…" Anko raised an eyebrow and smirked once more in response to this, "…and he's also the one who's been giving me the extra training I was telling you about. My apprenticeship is also to Naruto: I'm taking up Fuinjutsu, and he's my Fuinjutsu Master!"

Anko's eyes narrowed once more, this time in thought as she studied Kurenai's body language and posture while talking about her experience with Naruto. Kurenai seemed to notice this and decide to draw Anko's attention to it.

"Anko?" asked Kurenai suspiciously, causing Anko to give a sly, "hmmm?" is response, her eyes remaining narrow and the smirk never leaving her face.

Kurenai continued, with a little more force behind her suspicious tone, "What's going on in that head of yours, right now?"

Anko wasn't the least bit bothered by the question, "I'll let you know once I've heard more…please continue…"

Kurenai narrowed her eyes in response to this, but decided to let it drop for now. She knew Anko would tell her soon enough, probably by way of teasing her to try to get under her skin. She accepted Anko prompting and continued to tell her about what Naruto had told her concerning her chakra reserves/control plateau, and what she could do about it. This idea actually fascinated Anko, as she didn't know quite so much about chakra theory herself. Kurenai elected to leave out Naruto's singing and performing for her, feeling as though it wasn't her place to tell Anko about that part of Naruto's life.

As their food and drinks come to the table, they both started to eat while Kurenai told Anko all about the training that she had been doing under Naruto's supervision…

* * *

><p>'<em>Weekends are good!'<em> thought Iruka to himself with a smile as he sat at the counter in Ichiraku's. He was currently enjoying a steaming hot bowl of chicken ramen with all the fixings! It was times like this, where he could simply slow down and relax, that made life enjoyable for him. While many shinobi craved excitement and fast-paced adventure, Iruka had already had his fill of that. This was actually what caused to want to teach at the Academy.

Thoughts of the Academy always led him to many of the students he taught over the years, but one student always stood out first and foremost in his mind: his all-time favorite student and surrogate little brother, Naruto Uzumaki! He never could get used to the idea that Naruto's last name was now Namikaze, as it just seemed to take away from his identity, at least in Iruka's mind. He'd think or hear, "Naruto Uzumaki" and the brotherly feelings he had for Naruto would just swell to the surface with a vengeance; He'd hear "Naruto Namikaze", and he just didn't react the same way. It was as though the name belonged to someone else in his mind. He couldn't explain it, really, nor could he give rhyme or reason for it. It just was what it was to him, the same way that Iruka would always be "Iruka-sensei" to Naruto, and it would likely never change.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the tell-tale sound of the flaps at the front entryway to the stand being pulled aside by a customer entering the stand. He turned to see the man who was currently occupying his thoughts enter the stand. As they made eye-contact, both men smiled and greeted each other warmly, Iruka inviting Naruto to take the seat next to him.

As Naruto sat down, Ayame came and greeted him before hitting him on the head with the ladle in her hand, and chiding him on not making an appearance for several days at the ramen stand **again!** Naruto simply apologized to Ayame while grinning and laughing sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. His apology, and some promises to come visit more often, seemed to placate the young woman as she took his usual order of a Naruto Special. Iruka became surprised, however, when he ordered a "Kurenai Special" on top of this.

"Err…Naruto?" asked Iruka, his tone showing his curiosity and confusion. Naruto turned to him, the look on his face telling Iruka that there was a story to this.

"What's this about a 'Kurenai Special', and what's the story behind it?"

Naruto began to tell Iruka the same story that Kurenai was telling Anko at the Dango Pit. To say that Iruka was both intrigued and surprised at this particular development in Naruto's, and especially in Kurenai's, life, would have been an understatement. Of course, not having the same teasing nature that his wife did, his reaction was a little different, as were the questions he started to ask.

"You know, Naruto, it seems to me that you've taken a rather strong liking to Kurenai," said Iruka in his direct, yet non-judgmental way.

Naruto responded in a manner indicating that he didn't feel teased or threatened in the least by his statement, "I don't know, Iruka-sensei. I'm not saying I don't, but the truth is I'm not sure how I should feel, or what I should do about it. You know, yourself, that I really haven't had any luck or lasting success with women."

Iruka nodded sadly at this, knowing full well what Naruto's romantic history was like. He remembered how Sakura used to abuse him over the most unimportant things, or simply for the sake of her own annoyance. He also recalled when she would later try to use his feelings for her in an effort to try to bring Sasuke Uchiha back to the village, or to even deter him from pursuing Sasuke any further. Iruka also knew that Naruto and Sakura didn't talk these days after he had killed Sasuke in battle, and only gave each other a small smile and either a curt nod or a quick wave when they ran across each other in the village. Immediately after this, both would turn and walk in opposite directions to avoid further interaction.

Iruka's reflections took a slightly darker turn after this, as he recalled what Naruto had told him about his short-lived relationship with Hinata Hyuuga. On occasion, he had seen Hinata out and about in the village, usually with a contingent of Hyuuga Branch members in tow to act as bodyguards/attendants. Gone was the shy and kind young girl that he had graduated just eight years ago. In her place was a woman who, while quite beautiful and desirable, carried herself with a coldness and an indifference to those around her, culminated in a perpetual glare and an almost half-scowl that made her seem quite ugly to him. Even the way she spoke nowadays, when Iruka had actually heard her speak, was just…frigid, as though it was an annoyance at best and a transgression at worst to force Hinata to user voice and deal with people. Even Lord Hiashi hadn't been like this when dealing with those in the village. He had been rather arrogant and aloof, for certain, but he wasn't heartless the way Hinata had seemed to become.

Iruka finally responded to Naruto's comment, "Yeah, I do know what you mean, Naruto."

Iruka adopted a firm expression that Naruto often saw on his face when in his classroom, the expression that Iruka adopted when he wanted Naruto to pay particularly close attention to him.

Seeing that Iruka had Naruto's attention, he continued, "But I also don't think that you should let that stop you from pursuing something, or someone, that could potentially be very good for you."

"Easier said than done, sensei," responded Naruto with seeming indifference.

"I know," said Iruka, who did know what Naruto was saying.

Iruka continued, "Naruto, you trust me, right?" to which he received an apprehensive nod from the tall blond, as this question usually preceded a topic of discussion that could be rather uncomfortable for him.

Naruto was proved right in his assumption as Iruka followed with, "Then I want you to tell me something: what exactly is keeping you from exploring this? And I want to hear it all, not just the 'pat answer'."

Naruto, having been about to give him the 'pat answer', closed his mouth and collected his thoughts. When he was done, he simply stared down toward the counter and answered Iruka, "I guess a lot of things. My fear of what might happen in light of my own history with women is a small part of it, but there's more to it than that. I mean…this is Kurenai Yuhi we're talking about, here. And…while I know now that she's not the 'Ice Queen' that she's been made out to be, she's fourteen years older than me; I might as well be a kid to her. And on top of that, I don't want to do anything that will make her feel uncomfortable or uneasy with me. I mean I know how to behave like a gentleman, and I try very hard to be one, but at the same time, I've never been in a relationship that's lasted for any significant length of time. I wouldn't know how to be good partner to anyone. But there's also the fact that she's suffered through her own pain as well, and I certainly don't want to add to that, inadvertently or otherwise."

Naruto turned his attention back to Iruka, "I guess it all boils down to the fact that I feel that I don't have anything to offer her that she would need. What would someone like her see in someone like me, you know?"

Iruka had adopted a knowing smirk that only grew as Naruto had explained his reasoning. _'He had to have picked that up from Anko,'_ he thought to himself.

Iruka then answered, in an amused and knowing tone, "That's what you're worried about? You don't feel like you have anything to offer her?" Naruto nodded in a somewhat helpless fashion.

Iruka continued, "OK, where to begin…? Here's what you have to offer a woman like Kurenai," he began to tally using his fingers as he listed the things that Naruto did in fact have to offer, "a stable home, a steady career and income, real friendship without any ulterior motive, genuine companionship, the potential to build a family, a man who can protect her or her loved ones from just about any threat out there, and from what you're telling me, someone who has the ability to make her laugh or smile almost on command. If these things aren't good enough for a woman, than frankly she doesn't deserve you."

"He's right, Naruto," came the voice of Teuchi who, with Ayame, had started listening with interest to the two, "And from what I saw when the two of you were last in here, I don't think that a potential future with her is really that far-fetched."

Ayame added, "That's true, Naruto. I think you might have a very good thing within reach. And even if things don't necessarily go the way you'd like, at least you went for it, and I think with the kind of person Kurenai seems to be, you wouldn't be any worse off for trying."

Naruto still seemed to be a bit uneasy at the possibility of pursuing anything further at this point. Sensing his unease the way only a woman could, Ayame added, "Naruto, nobody's saying you have to jump into the deep end headfirst. If you're that nervous, just be friends with her for now, and pay a little attention to the signals she sends. If you don't know how to interpret them, you can come to me, and I can tell you what they mean, OK?"

Iruka and Teuchi both nodded in agreement, impressed at the wisdom of Ayame's suggestion. This also seemed to ease Naruto quite a bit as well, as he visibly relaxed at Ayame's advice and her offer to help him navigate through the waters of female subtlety that most men often found very treacherous.

Naruto smiled and nodded in gratitude to the three of them, "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate the advice, and I think I'll do what you suggested, Ayame."

Ayame smiled warmly and nodded, "That's what your real friends are here for, buddy!"

Teuchi and Ayame both took their leave of the pair to go take some other orders and also to prepare Iruka's and Naruto's own meals for them.

As they waited, Iruka continued in an effort to keep making conversation, "So, tell me about Kurenai's apprenticeship and about the training you two have been doing."

Naruto's eyes lit up at this, as he began to recount the past week of training and work that he and Kurenai had been doing…

* * *

><p>Naruto, or more accurately, Naruto's shadow clone, was making his way to Grandma Tsunade's office to give his creator's report and make his request. He had just left his boss as the original Naruto had gone into Ichraku's to grab some lunch. He thought he hard Iruka's voice come from the stand, and as much as he would have liked to say hi to Iruka-sensei himself, he was created at his boss's leisure for his boss's purposes. Sometimes being a shadow clone really sucked!<p>

'_Yeah, I hope you enjoy your time slacking off while making me do all your dirty work, you __**jerk!**__', _he thought bitterly, as he made his way to talk to the Hokage. As he walked down the road, the villagers all smiled and waved to him as they normally did. He, in turn, greeted them back as he continued on his way. For some reason, a leisurely stroll to the Hokage's office just felt kind of nice right now. It had nothing to do with the fact that he would have to dispel the moment he was finished with his business in Tsunade's office. Not at all!

He thankfully only crossed paths with two fangirls on his way to the Hokage Tower, politely turning both away, and continuing forward. _'Well, it could certainly have been worse.'_ He thought as he remembered the occasional stampede of fangirls that he used to have to outrun, and even flash away from on occasion. Granted, he didn't have to deal with stampedes anymore, but the occasional fangirl, or group of fangirls, was still a major pain in his backside.

He had finally arrived at the Hokage tower and began to make his way up the winding staircase to the level where Tsunade's office was located. As he entered the reception area, he saw Shizune at her station happily (a little **too** happily in his opinion) preparing several three-foot-high piles of paperwork for Tsunade to read through and complete.

"Shizune, I really hope those aren't for me…" said Naruto, already beginning to feel that there were certain things about being Hokage that he would find very distasteful.

Shizune looked up and smiled at seeing her current visitor, "Oh hey, Naruto! No, don't worry; these require Tsunade's signature directly; you have nothing to worry about, at least not from any of these piles."

"Good to know," he replied, knowing that Tsunade would use "training for the office of Hokage" as a convenient excuse to schluff some of her paperwork onto Naruto. While it was good training for him, she had a tendency to make him do more than he should have had to at this point. Although, it was this little problem that helped Naruto to find the perfect solution: send a shadow clone to Tsunade's office on the days where he was being trained for Hokage duties. This gave him an even more brilliant flash of inspiration: he could use many shadow clones at once to get paperwork done more quickly! Of course he had made it a point not to do this, because he knew that Tsunade would just give him more and more of her responsibilities and paperwork while she could sit back and drink to her heart's content. He decided very early that she was NOT going to do that to him, and that he would wait until he actually **was** Hokage before using that little trick of his. Tsunade might hate his guts for a little while for not sharing that little tidbit with her, but Naruto knew her far too well to believe that she would use it herself instead of making him do it all.

Naruto brought himself back to the task at hand, asking playfully, "So, is the old bat in?"

Shizune mock-glared at him for the way he addressed her mentor as she responded with mock-anger, "Yes, she is. Let me see if **'the Lady Hokage'** is available."

She rolled her eyes as she rose from her desk to knock on Tsunade's door. Naruto gave a low chuckle as she walked by. Shizune knocked on Tsuande's door, and upon being prompted, she opened the door, announcing to Tsunade that Naruto was there. After a few seconds, Shizune closed the door. Turning to Naruto, her mock-glare and mock-angry tone back in full force, but this time with a seemingly playful smirk as well, she said to him, "The old bat will see you now."

Naruto smirked right back at her. He thanked her and then approached the door of Tsunade's office, grabbing the handle and pulling it open. He entered and made his presence known, "Good afternoon, Lady Hokage."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes at him, asking suspiciously, "You're a shadow clone, aren't you?"

Naruto began to sweat a little as he responded, "Err…how did you know?"

"You didn't make any jabs at my age, or make any comments that might cause me to attack you. I would therefore draw the conclusion that you don't want me to do anything that would cause you to dispel."

Naruto sighed in resignation, "OK, you got me. I'm a clone."

Tsunade gave a satisfied smirk, as though she'd just pulled one over on Naruto, even if only in her own mind, before continuing, "Now that that's settled, why exactly are you here on Naruto's day off?"

Naruto adopted an all-business posture before answering this question, "For two reasons: one – to inform you of a couple of projects I've taken up, and a fuinjutsu apprentice that I've recently taken on, and two – to commission an extended A-rank mission for Kurenai Yuhi's services."

If she had been satisfied before at having gotten one over on Naruto, she was now floored and feeling as though Naruto had just gotten five over on her. Schooling her features as best she could, she posed a question, "Why exactly are you commissioning an A-rank mission as a client? And why Kurenai, specifically?"

Naruto answered her in his all-business tone, "That will be made clear as I tell you about the other reason I'm here."

Naruto then proceeded to tell her of his training and work with Kurenai over the past week…

* * *

><p><em>The day following Kurenai's encounter with Naruto in Konoha Cemetery, Kurenai was at the cast-iron gate that allowed entry into the Namikaze Estate at 8am sharp, just as they had arranged so that they could have some breakfast and begin training. As soon as she walked up, the gate opened itself, revealing Naruto in front of her.<em>

"_Good morning," he greeted her cheerfully._

"_Good morning," she greeted in response with a smile of her own as she entered the estate._

_Naruto led her to the house so that they could have breakfast. He led her to the dining room where he served her a typical shinobi breakfast of rice, fish and roasted pork, with water, fruit juice and green tea. Having already assembled his own plate, he took the place next to her and both of them began eating. As they ate, Naruto began his lessons to Kurenai so as to make the best use of time._

"_OK," he began, his voice taking on a rather "Iruka-like" character as he entered teacher mode, "While we get ready for today's training, I want to go a little more into chakra theory and application as far as it applies to how I'm going to train you."_

_With a frown of concentration on her face indicating that she was paying close attention to what he was saying, she nodded in understanding as he continued, "You already have a very good grasp on what chakra is, and how it can be universally applied, honed and fine-tuned, so we'll skip all that. What I do want to cover, though, is the importance of training chakra reserves and control through as many methods as possible, and in all of the ninja arts we use; not just the arts that we specialize in."_

_Kurenai nodded again, her frown deepening as she remembered her mistake in only focusing on genjutsu. Naruto seemed to catch this, however, and began to reassure her, "You're not the first person to make that mistake, and you're not the only one in the village who is, right now. Kakashi, for example, tends to focus too much on chakra control for ninjutsu training only, and has very little if any chakra control training aimed at genjutsu or taijutsu. Guy tends to concentrate on taijutsu, to an even greater degree than Kakashi focuses on his ninjutsu chakra training, leading him to have very little control over ninjutsu and genjutsu…except for that god-awful sunset cliffs genjutsu," Naruto added the last bit with a subdued voice and a shudder, causing Kurenai to giggle softly._

_Naruto smiled as he continued, "One thing you'll notice about Grandma Tsunade is that she focuses her chakra control in two specific disciplines: medical ninjutsu and taijutsu, which is the main reason why her control is as fine-tuned as it is, though I think her Senju blood probably has something to do with that as well, as her control over her naturally higher reserves is something of a talent she possesses. Sakura, for example, has naturally-perfect chakra control, but her reserves have always been rather low. She can control her chakra better than Tsunade can, but she can't do anywhere near as many jutsu, and certainly not to the degree of power that Tsunade can, without running out of chakra rather quickly._

"_The Hyuuga Clan are another example of refined chakra control concentrated only on Taijutsu, control made better as they individually train their Byakugan. So, as you can see, more shinobi than not tend to make the mistake of not diversifying the areas and methods in which they control their chakra pools, essentially 'lopsiding' themselves and creating 'ceilings' that they can't seem to get past, without actually discovering why. Of course, I only realized this as you were telling me about your problem yesterday, and I found myself thinking about what I knew about other great shinobi that I knew._

"_Back on topic, though, we're taught that chakra is divided into two parts: physical and spiritual. Physical is linked to the body, spiritual is linked to the mind and soul."_

_Kurenai nodded once more, showing Naruto that he hadn't lost her. Naruto continued, "This paradigm is over-simplified to the point where it gives an inaccurate understanding that doesn't hold water when applying more advanced methods of chakra training. It's true that these are the two sources that a person draws from when molding chakra, but…"_

_Naruto paused for a moment to once again make sure that he had Kurenai's undivided attention. Kurenai, sensing the importance of what he was about to say, nodded for him to continue, making sure to note what he said. Naruto continued upon seeing this, "…there is a lot more to advanced chakra training than simply molding physical and spiritual energies into the appropriate quantities, as I shall now list the concepts that I've observed are important. One - The speed and volume at which we can make our chakra flow through our chakra networks. Two – The tenketsu points and how our chakra can flow through them, or be released through them to create different effects. Three – The innate feel of our own chakra signatures, and how they feel different from other chakra signatures. Four, and this one is primarily geared towards ninjutsu, but it can be applied to the other ninja arts as well – The nature and shape of the chakra that we wish to mold __**after**__ we've mixed the two base energies together in the appropriate quantities, and the different effects that this has, both in how the shape and nature of the chakra behave, and in how effective they are when performing specific jutsu. These are the things I've managed to observe so far, but I'm sure that's only the tip of the iceberg."_

_Kurenai just sat there in rapt attention, fascinated by his exposition on chakra theory. Seeing that he was done for now, she decided to venture a question, "How exactly did you discover all of this?"_

_Naruto smiled, pleased at her interest in learning more about this subject, as he answered, "Well, a lot of it was just from instances where I can remember people explaining certain jutsu to me. Remember when Neji and I fought in our first chunin exam finals?"_

_Kurenai nodded in response, recalling the event. Naruto continued, "Well, during the course of that fight, he explained to me how his "Eight Trigrams: Rotation" technique worked. He basically releases equal amounts of chakra through all 361 of his tenketsu points simultaneously. Only the Byakugan allows for the degree of concentration required to be able to do this. The degree of chakra control that Neji posseses that's geared towards the Gentle Fist is probably on par with the chakra control that you have towards genjutsu, and yet…Neji has no genjutsu to really speak of in his arsenal: another example of lopsided chakra control._

"_Another case in point: Kakashi. His chakra control over ninjutsu is almost unparalleled in the ninja world, and it's probably outstripped only by mine. Again, going back specifically to changes in chakra shape and changes in chakra nature, these are the building blocks to all advanced and specialized ninjutsu. Even if he can't do them all himself, Kakashi knows how to train all of the basic changes in chakra nature: fire, water, earth, lightning and wind. It was Kakashi who trained me in wind chakra manipulation, even though I've never seen the man use a single wind-style jutsu."_

_Greater and greater levels of understanding flashed in Kurenai's eyes as she continued to listen to Naruto's lecture. Thinking about it now, in light of what Naruto had just said to her, she could think of countless numbers of examples where these ideas proved themselves true. Naruto noticed her understanding, and the excitement that her new-found understanding seemed to bring her. He began to feel rather satisfied with himself, both with his knowledge of this subject, and with his teaching style._

_Naruto, wanting to make sure that she understood, asked her, "So do you have any more questions about what we've just gone over?"_

_She shook her head in the negative, "Actually, no. I think you covered it pretty well."_

"_Good," said Naruto with a smile before continuing, "But now, knowing all of this, let's talk some about how we'll start applying it all."_

_Kurenai nodded with a smile and an excited gleam in her eye, her interest having been awakened by Naruto. Fascinated by just how technical the more advanced theories of chakra training were, she couldn't wait to apply it all and see just how all of it worked. Of course, now that she'd had a chance to rest and reflect on everything that happened yesterday, she was able to conduct herself and present her emotions in a more subdued and less ostentatious way, like she was more inclined to do._

_Since she had woken up this morning and thought about it, she was rather surprised at herself that she had acted in such an "out-of-character" way yesterday; she could only attribute it to all of the surprises that she had been presented with, on a day where she would be more emotional than usual. Thoughts of Asuma came back to her as she reflected on yesterday's events, but surprisingly, they didn't affect her as strongly as she thought they would, nor did they cause her to feel sadness or grief. This both confused and scared her a little bit, but she decided to set this aside for now and ponder it later. She brought herself back to the present, with Naruto being none the wiser as to her momentary lapse into nostalgia._

_After the two of them had finally finished breakfast, Naruto cleaned up the places before he continued his explanation once more, "Now, after giving this a little more thought, I've made a few changes to our training schedule. We're going to start by training your body and your taijutsu. While we're doing this, we're not only going to make your body stronger, quicker and faster, we're also going to be adding chakra in different ways to increase speed, power, and even precision. We'll focus on that for now so as not to spread you too thin and to avoid doing too much at once. I'll also begin your fuinjutsu education today after lunch._

"_For now, though, if you would please follow me," he finished as he stood up and began to walk towards the back door. Kurenai got up and followed him as he opened the door, both of them stepping out into the rear grounds towards the training dojo. Kurenai was astounded when she walked inside the dojo. There were seals of many different patterns and shapes along the walls and ceiling, all of them glowing, indicating that they were currently active. She could only guess as to what their functions were, so she continued to look around._

_All around the room were wooden training dummies, posts and targets, as well as various different accessories all around the room: high-quality chakra weight devices – bracelets, ankle braces, and even belts to add weight to a person's center of gravity, kettlebells of various degrees of weight, chakra-enhanced wrist grips in order to enhance grip and grappling strength, as well as pull-up bars, floor mats, weighted balls and other devices for core and abdominal training, and even ropes that hung from the ceiling. Kurenai raised an eyebrow at this._

_Naruto, noticing her confusion, looked at where she was staring, and began to explain, "These ropes are frictionless. They're used to enhance chakra control while enhancing muscular control and strength at the same time. Come here, I'll show you…" and with that, he gestured to her to follow him and take a closer look at the ropes. When she did, she was close enough to see what appeared to be tiny seals etched into the fibers of the rope._

_Naruto pointed them out to her and explained them, "You see two different patterns here. This first array," he pointed to one of the patterns on the rope, "helps to preserve the integrity of the fibers of the rope, because the seals themselves would flay as the fibers of the rope do. They stop that from happening. This array, here," he pointed to another pattern, "is what takes friction away from the rope. See?" he finished as he rubbed his hand up and down the surface of the rope, no sound being made, and no traction on his hand, demonstrating the effectiveness of the seal. Kurenai tested it herself, raising her eyebrows as her hand ran smoothly across the surface of the rope, almost as though there was nothing in her hand._

_Naruto brought her attention back to himself, "You'll learn to make seal arrays like these later, but you'll be using these ropes as part of your physical training. I'll demonstrate them, later. Now, come on…I want to assess your physical capabilities," he finished, gesturing for her to once again follow him while he went to one corner of the room and grabbed some gear that looked to be a different color and shape than the rest of the gear in there. Kurenai followed on his heels while he did this, stopping when he stopped. After Naruto had collected the gear he needed, the turned around and asked her to put the gear on: a pair of bracelets, a pair of anklets, and what seemed to be some kind of padded loose-fit halter top that she could easily slip on and off._

_Naruto explained that the purpose of these devices was to indicate the optimal level of weight someone should wear when training their body in order to both maximize the effectiveness of the workout yet keep them free from injury at the same time. He instructed her to channel a steady stream of chakra into the devices. She did so, noticing that they were all getting heavier. She continued channeling her chakra into them until she began to feel somewhat strained, when the weights stopped getting heavier. Naruto told her to stop channeling chakra and he proceeded to take the weights off of her, looking on the inside surface of each. Kurenai looked at what Naruto was looking at, seeing that there were some numbers written on the inside of each piece of gear._

_Naruto informed her that the numbers were the ideal amounts of weight that she should wear on each appendage while performing physical training. Her ideal weights were reading as: 45 lbs on her left wrist, 55 lbs on her right wrist, 80 lbs on her left ankle and 85 lbs on her right ankle. He had also informed her that she would start with the lower number on both wrists and both ankles, so that they could even themselves out, thus giving her body perfect balance. The halter top read 225 lbs, meaning that she would wear 225 lbs over her shoulders, chest and back while training her body and taijutsu. Kurenai had asked about the belts, seeing that there wasn't a belt that did what these other pieces of equipment did. Naruto told her that the belts would serve the same purpose as the halter top, and that they could be worn while performing pull-ups so that the weight could be a little lower on the body, making the exercise more effective._

_After recording these numbers, he pulled what looked like a pair of forearm-length gloves, and a pair of what would have been shinguards, except they were made of some kind of cloth instead of metal. Kurenai inserted her hand into each glove, and noticed that the portion that covered the forearm was open, and designed to be fastened around her forearms. She fastened, and repeated the process with the cloth "shinguards", fastening them around the back._

_Before she could put the halter-top on, Naruto stopped her before bringing her into what appeared to be a changing room, with female-oriented training clothes. Naruto had told her, rather bluntly, to Kurenai's mild annoyance, that the bandage-dress that she was currently in was not suitable for the training that she was about to undergo. Letting her know that the clothes were laced with seals that could either tighten or expand the fabric on the outfits to a degree, and showing her how to activate them, he left her in the room so she could change._

_When she came out wearing a red training gi that was just loose enough to allow her ease of movement, but tight enough to stay on her body. Over the gi was the halter top, and under the sleeves and legs of the gi were the greaves and the gauntlets, all set at the weights Naruto set them at. Naruto wore a satisfied smirk, while Kurenai wore an annoyed scowl. Naruto told her that she would thank him for this later, then proceeded to grab a pair of hand-grippers that was of the same basic design as the gear that determined her initial weights were. Naruto handed them to her, and told her to grip them as tightly as she could. She did, and found it quite easy to grip them, before Naruto told her to add a steady flow of chakra to them while maintaining the grip. She did this, and the resistance steadily grew for a few seconds on each gripper. The gripper in her left hand stopped increasing in resistance before the one in her right hand did, indicating that her right grip was stronger than her left. She could apply 70 lbs of torque in her left hand, and 85 lbs of torque in her right. Naruto seemed to be quite impressed with this: Kurenai had a rather strong grip for a genjutsu specialist._

_Naruto told her that for exercises that were done one limb at a time, she would do 10% more repetitions for her weaker limb than for her stronger one, so that she could balance them out as she grew in strength and speed._

_From that point for the next four hours, Naruto would have Kurenai on physical training, with 45 lbs on each wrist, 80 lbs on each ankle, and 225 lbs over her chest, shoulders and back. Naruto actually put some training gear and weights of his own on so that he could perform his routine while she performed her own. He told her his own numbers to give her an idea of what she'd be working towards: 400 lbs on each wrist, 750 lbs on each ankle, and 2500 lbs over the top of his body. Of course, Naruto had to do this using resistance and gravity seals, so that he wouldn't create craters in the ground as he was moving; he did have over 2 tons of weight dispersed throughout his body, after all._

_Her routine was:_

_300 standard push-ups  
>200 handstand push-ups<br>200 fingertip push-ups  
>200 laps around the borders of the Namikaze estate, including running over the lake using her chakra.<br>400 sit-ups  
>200 pull-ups<br>800 squats  
>100 one-arm pull-ups with her right arm<br>110 one-arm pull-ups with her left arm  
>400 one-legged squats with her right leg<br>440 one-legged squats with her left leg  
>100 one-arm fingertip push-ups with her right arm<br>110 one-arm fingertip push-ups with her left arm_

_His routine was:_

_1000 standard push-ups  
>800 handstand push-ups<br>800 laps around the borders of the Namikaze estate, including running over the lake using his chakra.  
>2000 sit-ups<br>1000 pull-ups  
>2500 squats<br>500 one-arm pull-ups with each arm  
>1000 one-legged squats with each leg<br>500 one-arm fingertip push-ups with each arm_

_After 3 hours, Kurenai finished with her routine, as compared to Naruto's 2 ½ hours, and also left her breathing a lot heavier than him. Naruto told her, to her horror and extreme consternation, that they were not yet done. Seeing her getting steadily more angry, he reminded her that she was doing this to round herself out and ultimately overcome her own chakra ceiling. Bearing this in mind, though that didn't stop her from grumbling under her breath, she followed Naruto back into the dojo, where they began to use the training dummies and posts to perform taijutsu-related exercises._

_Kurenai's Taijutsu routine, which she repeated 10 times, was:_

_200 punches with her right hand  
>220 punches with her left hand<br>200 kicks with her right leg  
>220 kicks with her left leg<br>_

_Naruto's Taijutsu routine, which he repeated 15 times, was:_

_600 punches with each hand  
>600 kicks with each leg<em>

_Both finished these routines at about the same time before cooling down with some stretching. Kurenai, still angry with Naruto, decided to give him a piece of her mind. She was a sight to see: panting hard, face flushed with exertion, hair disheveled and sticking to her forehead, sweat pouring down her face and drenching her gi, glaring at him while pointing in his direction, pausing between each word spoken through clenched teeth, gasping between each word, "You. Are. EVIL!"_

_Naruto tried very hard not to laugh at this. He couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for the woman, who certainly wasn't used to this level of physical exertion, at least not with the amounts of weight that she was currently wearing, but at the same time, the trainer in him found this to be highly amusing. He settled for an amused smirk before telling her that she could take the weights off now, and also to go ahead and use one of the baths in the onsen inside the house to relax and clean herself up. She took off her gear and put it all away before leaving in a huff for the changing room to gather the clothes she came in and leave for the onsen._

_Naruto himself, not having worked up much of a sweat, decided to start on lunch for the pair while Kurenai was allowing the tension and soreness that was starting to come on to be relieved at least somewhat by the hot, mineral-induced water in Naruto's private springs. Naruto couldn't help but think with some amusement, 'I wonder how she'll react when we start adding harder exercises into the routine,' as he prepared lunch over the kitchen counter._

_Lunch was a stir-fry of chicken and mixed vegetables over rice, making sure that there was an overly-generous portion of chicken so that the extra protein would allow for faster muscle recovery. He had also prepared three gallows of ice-cold water for them to drink; he was certain that Kurenai would go through at least two gallons by herself._

_Once Naruto was finished, he noticed that Kurenai was walking…or rather, stumbling…in, eyes glazed over and mouth watering. She had evidently smelled lunch, and was ready for some. Naruto smiled at her as he asked, "Feeling better?"_

_Kurenai scowled at him once more as she sat down at the dining room table, but this time there was a mildly playful quality to it. She couldn't stay mad at him; after all, he had done more reps and sets than she had in every exercise – far more – and he had literally 10 times the weight on his body to boot. That was also what made it more infuriating to her: the fact that he didn't make her do anything that he didn't do himself! She was infuriated by the fact that he left her with no room to point fingers at anyone __**except herself**__! And taking ownership for your own deficiencies could be a real drag!_

'_Great, Naruto's turning me into a Nara,' Kurenai thought to herself, both in amusement and annoyance._

_Naruto interrupted her musings by laying a plate of the dish that had her mouth watering, and invited her to dig in. He also brought the water to the table with a couple of glasses, and true to Naruto's suspicion, Kurenai downed several glasses of water, equating to about ¾ of a gallon, before even touching her food. She didn't waste time eating, either, but she did notice, with some frustration, that she had a harder time gripping her chopsticks than usual; her forearms were tired and sore._

_Naruto, seeing her frustration, asked with a chuckle while pointing to her chopsticks, "Err…would you like me to help you, there?"_

_Kurenai's face turned red at the question, but whether from a blush or continued annoyance, Naruto couldn't tell. She simply chose not to answer the question as she continued trying to feed herself, experiencing some success, but not enough to sate her grumbling stomach. After a few minutes of this, she sighed in resignation._

_She turned to Naruto and asked somewhat sheepishly, "Is that offer for help still on the table?"_

_Naruto simply smiled and nodded at her, not wanting to embarrass her any further. He began to take portions of food that she could comfortably chew and feed her so that she could finish her lunch a little faster without completely abandoning her table manners. The mood began to lighten up as they made small talk over lunch, laughing and smiling with each other._

_After lunch was finished, Naruto informed Kurenai that it was time to get back to business. He led her into the workshop area in his library. He had set up a small workstation for her so that she could practice the basic fuinjutsu skills that he would be teaching her. She saw several scrolls, blank pieces of paper, and ink wells and brushes of various kinds. She took a seat at the place that he had set up for her as he went to one of his blank whiteboards and began lecturing._

"_OK, Kurenai, before we get started, I want to tell you up front: as hard of a taskmaster as you thought me to be with physical training, I am a much harder taskmaster and a stingy perfectionist when it comes to sealing. If you're going to be apprenticed by me in the art of fuinjutsu, there are some ground rules you'll need to agree to, first."_

_Kurenai nodded in understanding. Being a master herself in the art of genjutsu, she would also set certain stipulations upon anyone wanting to apprentice under her to learn her art. She certainly didn't expect Naruto to be any different._

_Acknowledging her assent, Naruto began to list the ground rules that she would have to abide by while under his wing, "First and foremost, unless for the purposes of study, you will never buy another sealing note, tag, or what have you from any store, or any other sealmaster ever again. This means you won't buy any more paper bombs or the like from the Wolf's Claw. If you need an exploding tag, or any other seal, you will learn to create your own."_

_Kurenai raised an eyebrow in curiosity at this, but nodded in agreement, knowing that as with any art worth learning, understanding the reasons behind the rules would come in time. As an apprentice to Naruto, she decided that she would display the same humility that she would expect from an apprentice of her own. She simply kept her mouth shut and listened._

"_Second, we will not move past a lesson until you have both completed the lesson and mastered the accompanying skills to my satisfaction, even if the lesson seems too mundane, or even if you've used the skills in the lesson before._

"_Third, I have no problem with you asking questions; ask as many as you want. The more you ask, the more you'll learn, after all. If an answer does not make sense to you, or if it seemingly contradicts what you believe you know about sealing, please don't argue with me. I'm happy to clear up any misconceptions or misunderstandings that you might have, but as a master, I will not argue with an apprentice who has nowhere near the level of knowledge and skill that I possess in this art. Do you have a problem with any of these ground rules?"_

"_Not at all," responded Kurenai as she shook her head, "I would expect similar behavior from anyone apprenticing under me in genjutsu."_

"_Well, good, then!" Naruto replied with some enthusiasm, "Now that that's out of the way, let's get started, shall we?"_

_Naruto went on to explain to Kurenai exactly what fuinjutsu was, as well as give her some of the fundamental ideas and terms that most modern day fuinjutsu experts used (he would have said fuinjutsu masters as well, but at present, there was ONE known living fuinjutsu master in all of the Elemental Nations, and his name happened to be Naruto Namikaze). By the time he was finished with his lecture on basic fuinjutsu __**(1)**__, he started Kurenai on some basic calligraphy and seal drawing exercises. She began to object at first before Naruto reminded her of the ground rules, at which she promptly complied without further complaint. Of course, after comparing her seal drawing to Naruto's own, she could see where he had adequate cause for making her perform this exercise._

_This is how it went for the rest of the week: 4 hours of physical training and taijutsu, followed by lunch, followed by four more hours of seal drawing practice until Naruto was satisfied. Kurenai found that Naruto wasn't kidding when he had said that he was a stingy perfectionist when it came to sealing. He criticized her work up and down, sometimes to the point of almost making her lose her cool, but the one saving grace she found about him was that not only did he point out her flaws, he took the time to offer help and advice on how to correct them. He also mentioned that with each day, the more she applied his advice, the better her seal painting skills became (although they were still not to Naruto's standard, which she would continue to find annoying, but as an apprentice to her master, she kept her peace and continued the painstaking work of perfecting her seal writing and painting technique)._

_Around day 4, Kurenai was also starting to add chakra into her muscles as she performed her exercises, and into the points of her hands and feet that made contact when she threw punches and kicks. In addition to the exercises getting easier, she did notice that her chakra reserves were getting noticeably larger, and her chakra control was getting better at the same time. She was finally starting to overcome her plateau!_

_Naruto also helped Kurenai to blend several different Taijutsu moves into a style that would work to her strengths: fast blows and counterblows where she could add power when needed, but most of which involved quick movements, relying on her not staying still for too long. Most of the moves and attacks of her new style were circular in nature, as she seemed to prefer moving and attacking in arcs and curves as opposed to throwing strikes straight in. Naruto continued to help her build on this Taijutsu style, actually finding himself excited about the time when they'd be adding ninjutsu or a weapon into this style of hers!_

_At the end of the week, Naruto showed her his test plan for the Genjutsu Countering Project. After looking it over, Kurenai approved of what she had seen, seeing that it was thorough enough to run a sufficient number of trials, and probably get enough feedback from it to know what, if any, additional tests would need to be included. They would begin running their first clinical trials in two days time._

* * *

><p>"And the Genjutsu Countering Project is why I want to commission Kurenai's services. I want to make sure that she not only remains free to help me, but I want to continue training her as well," said Naruto, finishing his explanation to Tsunade.<p>

"Well, so long as you can pay for the mission you're requesting, I have no objection. How long will you need her services for?" asked the blond Hokage.

"Six months minimum, maybe longer, depending on how this project goes. If I need more time, I can continue to pay for an extended A-Rank mission at the rate you're currently charging."

Tsunade's eyebrows shot up in shock at this, "Brat, do you realize just how much an extended A-Rank mission costs? You're talking the price of at least 6 S-Rank missions due to the length of the mission alone!"

"I realize that, Lady Hokage, and I can easily afford to pay that," added Naruto, very confident of the truth of his claim.

Tsunade sighed in resignation, seeing that she was not going to talk him out of this. She began to put a mission profile together, "OK, Naruto. I'll fill out the paperwork with the mission details and I'll have Kurenai come up here to take the mission. Is there anything else?"

Naruto simply smiled, "Nope, that's about it."

Tsunade nodded before adding, "I'll agree to this, because the money is needed by the village right now, but I have a condition: I want monthly progress reports from you on Kurenai's training, her apprenticeship under you, and the results of the Genjutsu Countering Project as they all stand by the end of that month."

Naruto nodded to her, "No problem, Grandma Tsunade. I'll give you regular updates on all three."

With that, he dispelled himself before Tsuande could react, relaying the information back to Naruto.

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><p>Naruto blinked as his clone relayed everything to him. Iruka saw him twitch and space out for a moment before coming back to himself.<p>

"Shadow clone just dispel or something?" he asked casually.

"Yeah," Naruto responded just as casually, although he was still shaking his head a little to try to sort through the sudden rush of information.

"Well, it looks like Grandma's allowing me to give Kurenai a mission so that I can keep her free for as long as I need her help," said Naruto, quite satisfied with Tsunade's approval of the request he sent his clone to make.

"OK, Naruto. Well, I'm glad that things seem to really be coming along for you," said Iruka as he prepared to pay his bill and head back home to his wife.

"Sure thing, Iruka-sensei. I'm glad we could catch up," he responded as he paid his own bill, preparing to head back to his own home to do some training of his own.

Both men said goodbye to each other and went their separate ways.

* * *

><p>"…and that's where we are now," Kurenai finished her recollection of the past week's events to Anko as they finished their meal.<p>

Anko, of course, couldn't help but continue to try to tease her friend some more. With a mischievous glint in her eye, and an equally mischievous smirk, she began to do just that, "Hmm…you know, you've spent probably more time at Naruto's house in the past week than anyone else has – well – **ever**," she looked dead at Kurenai in mock-accusation.

Kurenai blushed under Anko's scrutiny, beginning to sputter before collecting her faculties enough to spit out a defense, "Now, wait a minute, it's nothing like that! I wouldn't be able to make a relationship with him work! He's just a little more than half my age! And I don't know him that well, yet!"

Anko fell out of her chair in laughter at this, clutching her sides and rolling on the floor, completely uncaring towards the scene she was making in the Dango Pit. Kurenai continued sputtering as her face kept getting redder and redder, both with embarrassment and anger at her friend for pushing her buttons like that and backing her into a corner. She eventually stopped sputtering and just sat there fuming as Anko pulled herself off the floor and back into her chair in an attempt to get a grip over her laughter.

Anko wiped a few tears from her eyes, "hehe…you should see the look on your face right now!"

Kurenai continued fuming as Anko continued to try to contain her laughter. Anko then continued, her tone playful, but with a hint of seriousness, "But I never said anything about you and my little bro being in a relationship with each other. I may have teased a little…" she paused, and both her face and tone softened as she continued, "…but if I were you, I'd ask myself a few things: why did you feel the need to defend yourself like that? Also…why do you feel the need to even tell me why a relationship with anyone 'wouldn't work'? It would seem to me…and I'm talking as your friend, now, Kurenai, that you might very well be developing feelings for him."

Kurenai had calmed down as Anko's tone had softened. As she listened, she became a bit forlorn. She voiced her concerns, her own resigned frustration evident in her tone, "I don't know what I feel right now, Anko. Up until last week, I wasn't feeling much of anything at all…and now, here I am, with…all these new feelings that I have no idea what to do with. On the one hand, what I said is true, but on the other, it's pretty easy to forget that he's fourteen years my junior given his maturity. But…I don't know…there's something about it all that just feels…all wrong," she finished as her eyes began to well up.

Anko dropped all pretenses of play and teasing as she frowned in concern for her friend. She paid their tab and quickly brought Kurenai out of the Dango Pit, teleporting the two of them to Kurenai's apartment. Kurenai looked at her friend in confusion. Anko answered the unspoken question, "Less chance of us being disturbed here. I don't think you'd want Iruka walking in on this kind of conversation, would you?"

Kurenai smiled in gratitude, "No, I wouldn't. Well…come on in," she said as she pulled her keys out and unlocked her door. They entered her apartment and sat down on the loveseat next to each other.

Anko began anew placing her hand on Kurenai's knee, "Kurenai, why is this whole thing bothering you so much?"

Kurenai closed her eyes and sighed in an effort to calm herself before answering. Failing to calm herself, or to keep the tears from coming, she responded, "To tell you the truth, Anko, I just don't know. I don't know what I'm feeling, or why. Whenever I think about Naruto…one minute I feel like I've found the single greatest treasure I could ever imagine finding…and the next, I feel as though I'm betraying the man I loved, and everything we had…"

She began to sob at this, immense feelings of guilt threatening to overwhelm her. Anko pulled Kurenai into a comforting hug, Kurenai grabbing Anko tightly as she continued crying. Kurenai continued through her sobs, "I never imagined myself in this kind of a situation! You're right, Anko…I am developing feelings for him, but he's so much younger than me; what will people think of me? Would something like this destroy all the respect I've worked so hard to earn? Will this hurt my career; will it hurt his? What if I forget all about Asuma? There's just so much that's uncertain in this…" more sobs continued to pour out of Kurenai as Anko simply rubbed her back in an effort to soothe her, "…and I'm **scared!** I'm more scared than I've **ever been** in my life…and I don't know what to do!"

She continued to sob in Anko's sisterly embrace, having said her piece. Anko just continued to soothe her and try to calm her down. After a few minutes, Kurenai's sobs began to subside. Anko, sensing that Kurenai was calm enough to be able to process what she had to say, pulled out of the hug so she could look Kurenai in the eye.

She began, "Kurenai, I want you to think about this for a minute…and I want you to think hard, OK?"

Kurenai nodded, waiting for Anko to continue. She did, "If Asuma could come back just to talk to you for ten minutes, what do you think he'd say?"

Kurenai blinked a few times at this. She hadn't expected to be asked such a question, and she certainly wasn't prepared for it. She began to think about who Asuma was, and what he would want for her.

Kurenai began to answer tentatively, "I think…that he would want me to be happy. I think that it would…sadden him to see me this way. I think he'd want me to love again, and to pursue the dream we had…of building a family…with a man who would love me as much as he did," she smiled at this next thought, "Actually, he would probably hope that I could find someone who'd love me even more than he did; he was always like that," she finished with a soft laugh as a few more tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Anko smiled, "I think that's exactly what he would say…and just because you won't necessarily grieve Asuma's passing anymore; that doesn't mean you've forgotten him, or that you ever will. You know as well as I do that you'll never forget Asuma Sarutobi. But you do need to free yourself enough, if not to love, then at least to **live**. Kurenai, any man that you might eventually get involved with, whether it's Naruto or not; they're not going to replace Asuma. I can't speak for anyone else, but I can tell you that Naruto wouldn't **want** to replace him. Would you want to be Sakura or Hinata's replacement to him?"

Kurenai grimaced at his as she shook her head in response. Anko laughed at this as she continued, "Kurenai, the point I'm making here, is that there's nothing wrong with what you're beginning to feel for Naruto. And there's nothing wrong with being scared, either. The situation is kind of unusual, but that doesn't mean that it can't become something amazing and wonderful. Believe me…as well as I know Naruto Namikaze…you could do a whole lot worse! And in my opinion, you'd be rather hard-pressed to do better!"

Kurenai smiled at Anko, feeling very reassured, and yet…, "Thanks, Anko. I'm…still a bit scared, but…"

Anko smiled and continued to reassure her friend, "Kurenai, there's no pressure for you to do anything right now. If you're unsure about what you want to do, put off doing anything until you **are** sure. This…whatever it is you and Naruto have right now…neither of you forced this at all, it just kind of fell into your laps. Let this take its course, at its own pace, and just enjoy the ride for now. If something more is meant to happen…well…life just has a way of making that clear, you know what I mean?"

Kurenai smiled and nodded, understanding exactly what she was saying. She hugged Anko, this time in gratitude.

"You're right, Anko. I don't have to do anything I'm not ready to do," Kurenai said, resolved that she at least knew she didn't have to make a decision one way or another right now.

Anko broke the hug and stood up, preparing to leave. She gave Kurenai that playful grin that she knew all too well, "Well, my work here's done. What are friends for, after all?"

Kurenai rolled her eyes and giggled at her friends antics, showing her out. As she shut the door, she want back to the loveseat, and continued reading "Murder in the Hidden Mist" from where she left off. Who knew what the future might hold? She certainly didn't, and neither did anyone else, but at least she was no longer scared of taking action in one direction or another. For now, she was content to just tag along for the ride, glad that for now…she didn't have to do anything at all.

* * *

><p><strong>(1)<strong> Please refer to my story "The Discipline of Fuinjutsu" to study the lessons that Naruto is teaching Kurenai in greater detail (shameless self-promotion, I know). This story is essentially about Naruto's taking the obscure art of Fuinjutsu and creating a logical, organized discipline out of it by writing a foundational text for it. This text is what Naruto will be giving his lessons to Kurenai out of in this story (of course, without the added Kurotsuchi bits – just think of them as extra bits that Naruto put in, or got from some of Kushina's notes or something).

**NO! This is NOT the end of the story! Further chapters will come! As stated earlier – please read and review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto does.**

**Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed and shown such great interest in this story! Special thanks go to the following people for ****leaving such great and rather detailed reviews and suggestions (if I've left anyone off, it was unintentional, and your reviews and sugge****s****tions are no less appreciated): Skamikaze, pokemaster12, lednacek**** (gave a good r****e****view, and many good PMs back and forth as to how to make things better!)****, Da-Crazy-Tiger, Tri****s****tan76, cjcold2, Hi****s****sori Da****n****gan.**

**Further thanks go to all who have simply left encouraging remarks as well; they are greatly appreciated, and they do help me to continue writing and delivering more material to you. **

**To those of you who haven't, please LEAVE A REVIEW, even if it's just to say something like, "I like it, please update soon"! It's very encouraging to see that several thousand people are reading this story, but it's rather disheartening that less than 1% of those who are reading are taking a few moments to leave a review. Please leave reviews; I want to know what you all think, and if you have any suggestions or helpful input, that would make your review all the more welcome, so please, review after each chapter.**

**Also, I went back and fixed a few typos in Chapter 3.**

**UPDATE - 8/27/2011 - Went back and fixed a few typos and such; I believe I got them all. Also, I changed Kurenai's description of hanging out with her best friends to talking about the goings-on in her daily life - Becomes important in Chapter 6**

**That said, let's get to Chapter 4!**

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><p>Iruka Umino was in the middle of cooking dinner for his wife and himself. He was looking forward to talking with Anko after his earlier conversation with Naruto. Knowing that Anko had lunch with Kurenai while he was with Naruto, and suspecting that the reason Anko had not returned home yet was likely because she was still with Kurenai, he could hazard a guess that tonight's dinner conversation would be rather fascinating.<p>

As he prepared their typical evening meal of beef and chicken stir-fry, he began to reflect back on what Naruto had told him at Ichiraku's earlier that afternoon. He was both happy and hopeful for his best friend and adoptive little brother. He'd been through so much in his life, already, and it was about time that something with this kind of potential came along. Naruto's experience in life was about as far from normal as one could get, and there wasn't anyone who could really relate to him as he was now. He was far and away the most powerful ninja in the world; no enemy or threat could touch him or even approach him.

But still, Iruka saw the loneliness that came as a result of being a god among men the way Naruto was. He remembered his own loneliness from his Academy days, just after his parents had been killed in the Kyuubi's attack. He remembered the mischief he used to cause, just so that people couldn't help but notice him. He remembered that he eventually got past the loneliness and found camaraderie in Mizuki, even if the camaraderie was supposedly falsified on Mizuki's part. The truth is that Iruka didn't buy that from Mizuki for a second: the man really had been his friend at one point, and both of them knew it.

He remembered other comrades that had helped to end the loneliness as well: particularly when he worked under Kakashi Hatake in the ANBU. That was quite a wild ride, and he remembered their adventures in Kakashi's outfit very well. Then, of course, when Old Man Sarutobi had asked Iruka to teach at the Academy, and more specifically, to teach one eight-year-old Naruto Uzumaki at the Academy, his life would forever change in ways he couldn't even begin to fathom.

He remembered how cold he was to Naruto at first, being unable to see past the Kyuubi who had killed his parents and traumatized him as a boy. Some people treated Naruto as though he wasn't even there, which was painful enough for him. Iruka had to admit, more to himself than to anyone else, that he had done even worse than that at first: he had treated Naruto as though he **was** there, but that he wished that he wasn't. Iruka still remembered the day after Naruto had decided that he'd had enough with the cold glares and with having to work so hard to prove to people that, in Naruto's own words, "he wasn't a nuisance, and he wasn't some kind of germ…and that he had a **name** of his own; that name was Naruto Uzumaki".

Looking back, Iruka couldn't ever remember feeling more guilty and ashamed of himself than when Naruto had said that to him. That was exactly how he had treated him, despite knowing that Naruto wasn't to blame for his loss. It was that night, for the first time, that Iruka really paid attention, and saw that look of loneliness in Naruto's eyes that he once saw when he used to look in the mirror. Iruka could see, however, that Naruto's loneliness was much more intense than his own ever was, and caused him much deeper pain. That was the night that Naruto had decided that he wouldn't attend his classes anymore. It was at this point where Iruka, in an effort to try to look more objectively at the boy that was his student, started to come by his house, seeing how he lived, and imagining the kinds of things he had to go through from day to day. His feelings of guilt and shame grew when he saw Naruto's living conditions: Naruto had nobody to teach him how to care for himself, or how to eat right, or how to survive from day to day…or even anyone to come home to after he'd had a particularly bad day to reassure him that everything would be OK.

It was that same day that one of the boys in his class_… 'What was his name, again…Hibachi? Y__eah, that's right,'_ he thought as he recalled the incident…anyway, Hibachi had sent Naruto out on a wild goose chase as a joke in an effort to get him back for a prank that Naruto had pulled on him and his friends. The problem was that the joke was a very dangerous one. Iruka found himself getting angry about it even now. There had been some battles between Konoha ninja and ninja from some other village out in the back hills.

Hibachi had said that if Naruto could get something from one of the corpses out there and bring it back, that Naruto could be friends with him and his buddies. Fortunately, Shikamaru and Chouji had heard the group telling this to Naruto, essentially preying on his loneliness just to get a laugh out of him…a laugh for them that had nearly cost Naruto his life. Iruka had gone into the area that Naruto had been sent into by Hibachi and crew, and when he had finally found Naruto, he couldn't convince him to come back, nor could he convince him of the danger that he was in by being in an area that was likely still a battlefield. He remembered when Naruto was injured and knocked unconscious as he was being pursued by three enemy kunoichi, and how he had brought him back to the village, and Iruka himself probably wouldn't have made it if Kakashi hadn't followed him out and covered his retreat.

Naruto and Iruka became not only teacher and student, but friends, and brothers in all but blood that day. Hibachi and his friends had been promptly expelled from the Academy shortly after putting Naruto's life in danger so irresponsibly; come to think of it, Iruka didn't ever recall seeing any of them again after that, even around the village…oh well. Thinking about the relationship that he had forged with Naruto, and the way in which it continued to strengthen and deepen over the years brought a smile to the scar-nosed chunin's face, and a tear to his eye.

Naruto's loneliness had never left him as long as Iruka had known him. The reasons for it changed, certainly, but it was still there. As the village pariah, he was lonely. As the village idiot, he was lonely. As the village hero, he's still lonely. Being a scapegoat, or being someone truly great, two extremes on both ends of the spectrum of "normalcy"; both bring isolation. Naruto had nobody that could understand him, and besides a very select few, there were none that were willing to try…and then Kurenai seemed to come along in a chance encounter: two people who, at first glance, had seemingly nothing in common, but if one were to look a little more closely, they would see that the things they did have in common, few though they were, were the things that truly mattered. Both knew deep loss and pain. Both know what it was to lose comrades, both to death and to differences in life. Most importantly, though, both of them knew how it felt to be isolated and labeled, whether for good or ill.

Kurenai Yuhi, whose physical beauty coupled with her skill in genjutsu made her stand out among the populace of the Hidden Leaf, as well as bringing a lot of attention of the unwanted variety from most of the male populace of Konoha. Even at thirty four years of age, she was still the most-desired woman in Konoha by men, and aside from the Hokage, the most admired and envied women in Konoha by women, both ninja and civilian alike. Possessing a beauty, poise and natural grace that had only improved with time, he hadn't appeared to age at all in the last fifteen years or so that Iruka had known her, except if one were to look into her eyes, where they would see a maturity that reflected years of experience. It was this thought that made his thoughts turn to Naruto, whose eyes held a similar maturity to Kurenai's; a maturity that cost him quite a lot to attain.

Naruto Uzumaki…_'Namikaze'_, he added in his own mind; he'd never get used to that…given the moniker Konoha's Perfect Storm, first on the battlefield, and then in Bingo Book pages in every shinobi nation, assigned a SS-Ranking in all of them (his father only received this rank in Iwa's bingo book). Named the Perfect Storm for his ability to unleash **untold** amount of destruction on **untold** number of people, using **untold** amounts of techniques at **untold** levels of skill (the word "untold" became annoying after a while, but this is what his Bingo Book page said), Naruto stood out and became the center of attention almost anywhere he went. Naruto himself was isolated first because of his burden, and later because he had become a god among men with power and ability so far beyond anyone that Iruka knew, that it became hard for most to see him as a man who was as human as anyone else, and had just as many frailties. Of course it didn't help that Naruto had problems with unwanted attention himself.

The irony about Naruto and Kurenai potentially finding each other wasn't lost on Iruka at all: Kurenai, trying to make herself seem less human than people thought her to be in order to earn the respect of her colleages and show her mettle as a kunoichi; Naruto, trying to show that he was more human than people thought him to be due to his exploits and accomplishments. Maybe the two of them could balance each other out, or something…

Brought out of his reflections by the sound of his front door opening, he turned to see his wife, Anko Mitarashi Umino, enter the house.

"Hi, honey!" she greeted him with a warm smile.

"Hi, yourself!" he greeted in response, "And how was your lunch with Kurenai?"

"We had a great time catching up. And let me tell you, she had a lot to share…"

Iruka responded in a knowing tone, "I'm sure she did. I'll give you a wild guess as to who I ran into while you were with Kurenai…"

Anko didn't even need time to think about that one, "You ran into Naruto, didn't you?"

Iruka nodded, "And Naruto had a few interesting tidbits of his own to share."

Anko raised an eyebrow at this, "Did he, now? So I'm guessing that you know of what happened on the 4th and also what's been happening with them in the week since then?"

Iruka once again nodded, "Yeah, Naruto filled me in. I actually wanted to talk to you about some of the things that Naruto told me."

Anko gave a knowing nod as she responded, "I wanted to talk to you as well. I think we should compare notes and see what we have on them. If we're both on the same page…and I suspect we are…then we might be able to help them out some."

Iruka smiled mischievously at his wife, "It's fun to meddle in family's business, isn't it?"

Anko gave a closed-eye grin and nodded before changing the subject, "So, is dinner ready, yet?"

Iruka went wide-eyed, having forgotten to monitor what he was cooking. He ran back in to check it, and fortunately, it hadn't started to burn. Seeing that it was done, he prepared two plates and brought them over to the table, noting that Anko had already sat down. Anko had already set up sake and water for them to enjoy while they ate.

Iruka set the plates in their places on the dining room table and sat down at the place where he set his own plate. After they gave a quick blessing, they began to eat while sipping on their sake.

Anko began their conversation as they ate, "So, Naruto and Kurenai…they've been in close proximity, haven't they?"

Iruka responded, "Yeah. Naruto's beginning to develop very strong feelings for her. I don't even think he knows just how strong they are, yet."

"Kurenai's got it just as bad."

Iruka raised both eyebrows and smiled at this. His face became serious after a few moments, "Did Kurenai express any reservations to you about how she felt? Because Naruto has a few."

Anko frowned at this as she responded, "Yeah, Kurenai expressed some of her own. I told her that she didn't have to do anything in one direction or another right now, and that she should feel free to take it as slow as she needs to."

"That's what we told Naruto as well…"

Anko raised an eyebrow at this, tensing slightly, "Err…'we'?"

"Oh…me, and Teuchi and Ayame Ichiraku."

Anko nodded in understanding and relaxed, knowing the confidence that Naruto and Iruka placed in the father/daughter ramen duo, "So, what were Naruto's reservations about it?"

"Well, he was worried about not being good enough for her: He mentioned the age gap, and about how he might not have anything to offer her that she would want in a partner; he's also worried about somehow hurting her inadvertantly and driving her away because of his past experiences with women. He doesn't understand what Kurenai might see in him or why."

Anko nodded once again, "Hmm…it's a good thing he has us to tell him, then! Kurenai's reservations were a bit different: the age gap is an issue for her as well, but it's because she's more worried about losing the respect that she's earned over the years if people were to start thinking of her as a cradle-robber. She's worried about how it might affect her career, and she's also worried about how it might affect Naruto's chances at being Hokage. There's also…another, more sensitive issue for her – she's afraid of forgetting Asuma, because the more she's around Naruto, the less she feels Asuma's absence. Iruka, all of these things frighten her. She wants to pursue him, I think, and…honestly, the more I think about it, the more I'd love to see the two of them together…but she's so mixed up right now that I don't think she could have a healthy relationship with anyone until she works all of this out."

Iruka nodded in understanding, "Yeah…and it's not like she doesn't have valid concerns, either. It could affect her career, or at least it could cause her to lose respect; you know how people in this village are, at times. I mean, I can tell you for a fact that Naruto won't care what people will think about his relationships; he knows whose opinions really matter and whose don't. And he'll be Hokage anyway, simply because he's the only one who **can** do the job that **will. **But then there is also the whole Asuma issue that she needs to move past," he paused in thought at this as it came to him, "no…it's not that she needs to move past it, it's that she needs to **want** to move past it."

Anko's eyes lit up in understanding; she knew right away that Iruka was on to something. She voiced her thoughts on the matter, "Yeah, that's exactly it," and as her thoughts trailed off, her eyes narrowed slyly as she continued, "you know…even though we've told them to just let whatever happens happen…who's to say we can't…maybe…I dunno…help them along a little?"

Iruka, feeling like a prankster for the first time since his Academy days, gave a sly smirk all his own, "I like the way you think, honey. Yeah, let's do that."

And with that, the Uminos began to scheme and devise plans to bring Naruto and Kurenai into a loving relationship as a couple while thinking of ways to keep their machinations under the radar so that Naruto and Kurenai would continue to follow their advice.

* * *

><p>The following morning found Kurenai receiving a summons to the Hokage's office via ANBU just before she was set to head over to Naruto's place for their training. While she would normally be grateful for this, knowing that it meant a mission, she now had mixed feelings. On the one hand, she was glad to be able to do something to bring in a little money, but on the other, it would take away from training time with Naruto – something she was really beginning to enjoy the benefits of undergoing: gaining greater control over her chakra, increasing her reserves, getting faster and stronger, becoming a better fighter, learning about seals and many other new skills, eating Naruto's cooking and spending time with him…<p>

'_Woah, wait a minute, there, girl…slow down and let that part work itself out…'_ she reminded herself, as she heeded Anko's advice about not forcing herself or taking hasty action in either direction on that front. After making a few final adjustments to her appearance and making sure that all her gear was fastened and in place, she teleported in a swirl of leaves to the Hokage Tower.

She appeared just outside the entrance to the upper levels and entered, getting Shizune's attention by wishing her a good morning. Shizune, upon seeing that Kurenai had arrived, simply told her that she could go ahead and go on in to see Tsunade. Kurenai thanked her and knocked on Tsunade's door.

"Enter," was the command she heard from the Hokage. She grabbed the door handle on the left door of the double-doors that served as the entry point into the Hokage's office and pulled the door open.

Upon entering, she announced herself in a professional manner, "Jounin Kurenai Yuhi reporting as ordered, milady."

It was as she did this that she noticed Naruto in the office as well. While he could frequently be found here, Kurenai knew that he should be at his home, expecting her to show up any minute. She simply raised an eyebrow at this, wondering if maybe a mission had come up that would require the two of them to work together. This random thought both excited her and made her a little uneasy at the same time.

Tsunade brought Kurenai's attention to herself as she began to brief the red-eyed jounin, "Good morning, Kurenai. I've summoned you here because your services have been requested specifically for an A-rank mission."

Kurenai's eyes widened at this. A-Rank missions these days were practically unheard of, and it would be foolish at best to turn one down. She glanced over at Naruto, who smiled knowingly in response, before bringing her gaze back to Tsunade.

The busty blonde continued, "To let you know, the reason Naruto is here is because it is Naruto who has contracted your services."

Kurenai adopted a confused frown whilst raising an eyebrow at Naruto, wondering what exactly he was up to. Tsunade continued her briefing, "This is an extended A-rank mission that has a minimum duration of six months, and is open to renegotiation if a greater length of time is required. During this time, you will receive monthly compensation for the duration of this mission, at extended A-Rank mission pay."

Kurenai smiled at this, the news having made her day already. Tsunade, noticing this, leaned forward, propping her elbows on her desk and intertwining the fingers of both her hands together, resting her chin on the bridge that her interlaced fingers provided. Smirking, she continued, "Naruto has told me about his Genjutsu Countering Project. He also tells me that he's ready to begin initial clinical trials starting today. In order for his project to be completed in a timely manner, he has commissioned your services so that you can assist him in any way that he requires. This will also keep you free from other missions for that time, so that not only can you assist him with this…" she paused as she allowed her smirk to grow wider before finishing, "…but you can also continue training under him. He's informed me of your apprenticeship to him in the art of fuinjutsu, and as we currently only have one seal master in the village right now, any apprentices that he can take on to learn the art would be a great boon to the village and would enable us to greatly enhance the selection and variety of services that we can offer potential clientele. He's also informed me that he's…helping you to solve a little problem that you've encountered - something about chakra control and reserves, and not being able to increase one without losing ground in the other?"

Kurenai's smile had grown wider and wider as Tsunade informed her of her mission, and of what she knew about her apprenticeship and training. She nodded and responded to the Hokage's implied question, "Yes, that's right milady. Naruto has been kind enough to spend a lot of time helping me to diversify the ways in which I use chakra. In the last week, I've already broken through the ceiling that I was at before: both my reserves and control have increased already, and I have to admit I'm excited about what the future holds for my skills as a ninja if Naruto is able to help me keep progressing at the rate we are."

Tsunade nodded in approval at this, "Excellent…" Tsunade's smile dropped as she adopted a more professional demeanor, "I've told Naruto that I have two conditions concerning your apprenticeship and training. The first is that he is to give me monthly status reports as to your progress. The second is that by the end of it, I expect you to provide a demonstration of your skills in an exhibition fight against some of our top ninja. Do you agree to these terms?"

Kurenai nodded, schooling her features into a neutral expression, maintaining her professionalism before her commander-in-chief, "Yes, milady. I agree…and thank you," she added with a small smile.

Tsunade smiled in response, "You're welcome, Kurenai. Truth be told, I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll learn under the brat, here."

Kurenai turned her gaze to Naruto, who hadn't lost his grin. She smiled in return before turning her attention back to her Hokage, "Is there anything else, milady?"

Tsunade shook her head, "No. you're dismissed; I believe the two of you have a project to get to."

Naruto answered for the pair, "Yes, we do. Kurenai, shall we?" he asked as he extended an arm to her.

Kurenai nodded and approached Naruto, leaning into him while he placed an arm around her, before both of them disappeared in a flash of yellow. Tsunade absently thought that they made a nice-looking pair before returning her attention to the bane of every Kage's existence: paperwork!

* * *

><p>As soon as Naruto and Kurenai flashed into Naruto's front yard, he led her inside so that they could eat the breakfast that he had sealed away in order to keep it fresh and hot. After doing this, they went through the typical morning workout routine and ate lunch before getting to the clinical trials that Naruto had created. The test cases that he had designed, with himself as the primary test subject, were split into two separate test plans. The first one involved simply escaping genjutsu: the dispelling of genjutsu of levels from D-rank ranging to S-rank that attacked his individual senses, the dispelling of genjutsu of levels from D-rank to S-rank that attacked his mind, and the dispelling of area-wide genjutsu of levels from D-rank to S-rank that affected the perceptions of anyone who entered the area.<p>

The second, more advanced test plan involved the countering of genjutsu and sending them back at the caster, or even into another target, which involved the following test cases: the countering and redirection of genjutsu of levels from D-rank ranging to S-rank that attacked his individual senses, the countering and redirection of genjutsu of levels from D-rank to S-rank that attacked his mind, and (Naruto had decided to put these test cases under this test plan, as the basic purpose of them was the same as the other two in his mind) the blocking of area-wide genjutsu of levels from D-rank to S-rank from his individual perceptions without actually dispelling the genjutsu across the area, fooling the enemy into thinking that he was still in the genjutsu.

The field tests would run the same test cases, but the main difference would be the controlled conditions of the clinical trials versus the real-world conditions of the field tests. The field tests would simulate conditions that would be encountered on any mission, such as ninja-speed travel, and even combat conditions. The clinical trials involved Naruto being very still, beginning in a meditative state.

As he meditated and concentrated on sensing the flow of his chakra, he signaled for Kurenai to hit him with a D-rank genjutsu that would attack one of his senses: she chose his sense of hearing. Naruto was able to sense the foreign chakra well enough, and he was able to forcibly expel it from his system very quickly, almost before it could even take hold. Both were pleasantly surprised at the success of the first clinical test: Naruto's theory about being able to sense a foreign chakra signature and purge it from his coils had been spot on, and it was just shown to be a much faster method for dispelling genjutsu than the standard chakra flooding or stopping of overall chakra flow, not to mention it was far less unpleasant than using extreme physical pain.

As the day went on, though, Naruto found that expelling chakra in such a manner was simple enough for genjutsu that attacked the senses, even though he had to concentrate more and more on the complexities and subtleties of how chakra was sent into him with higher-ranking genjutsu. Kurenai decided to spontaneously add a couple of test cases that Naruto had left out of his test plan: multi-layered genjutsu that both attacked more than one of his senses in layers, as well as multi-layered genjutsu in which one or more of the layers attacked the same sensory perception. This little aside had enabled Naruto to discover something, and essentially invent another new skill that he dubbed "chakra flow identification", in which he was able to, by the feel of the chakra sent at him, determine almost exactly what the chakra was molded to do. He was able to dispel even S-rank genjutsu sent at him in such a manner, though this took a little longer while adding the bonus of furthering his chakra flow identification skills. The more complex the genjutsu, the more refined the chakra had to be molded and sent in such ways as to have multiple different effects.

But while chakra from genjutsu that attacked his senses was easy enough for him to deal with, chakra from genjutsu that attacked his mind and his mental perceptions was not. While he could identify the foreign chakra, it behaved differently, to such a degree that he wasn't exactly sure what to do with it. The more he and Kurenai tried to figure out a solution to this problem, the more frustrated they became, as nothing they could do seemed to work. Naruto eventually decided that they had accomplished enough for one day, with Kurenai suggesting that maybe stepping back from the problem might offer a solution.

They both went inside and had dinner that was prepared by a shadow clone, talking about the successful trials that were run, and the new skills that this could introduce to their own shinobi. If Naruto, who was naturally weak to genjutsu due to his inhuman reserves of chakra, could dispel genjutsu in such a way, then any shinobi could learn to. The pair both found themselves feeling very satisfied with the results of the first set of tests. They then began to brainstorm as to how they might be able to solve the problem that Naruto had encountered with genjutsu that attacked his mind.

Naruto told Kurenai about how the chakra just felt different: with the sensory attacks, it was almost as though the chakra, even with the subtleties, was "solid", for lack of a better word, and he could essentially latch his own chakra onto it, forcing it out of him. The chakra that attacked his mind behaved more like "air": it just seemed to float around, and as he tried to latch onto it, it just seemed moved around and out of his grasp, leaving him with nothing to grab.

In a sudden moment of inspiration, Kurenai asked Naruto, "What if you were able to 'see' the chakra instead of just 'feeling' it?"

Naruto, in confusion, raised an eyebrow at her, "What do you mean?"

"Well, what if we were to enlist the help of a Hyuuga with this little project: someone who can see exactly how the chakra is flowing through the coils and how it's behaving? It could provide some insight and help us solve this little problem," Kurenai said, in a hopeful tone.

Naruto gave a thoughtful frown, which turned into a thoughtful smirk as he responded, "Yeah…I think that would work! I'll talk to Grandma tomorrow and see if I can't get Neji on board for this! He's got the most fined-tuned Byakugan that I know of, and he'll probably be able to see the problem more clearly than any other Hyuuga."

Kurenai smiled at his renewed enthusiasm for the project, nodding in agreement with him. God willing, Neji Hyuuga would become a part of this project, and would be able to help them tremendously with his ability to literally see chakra. She was just as excited as Naruto was to see the end result of this project. Even though she hadn't been present at the project's inception, she had now made it her own, and it was as much her own undertaking as it was Naruto's.

Knowing that little more could be done about it now, they both focused on other topics of discussion, most of which didn't relate to their training or ninja arts. Kurenai would tell him about the latest mystery she was reading, or the basic goings-on in her day-to-day life, and Naruto actually began to open up to her a little bit about what Jiraiya had taught him about income apart from his shinobi career, and his own business ventures and investments that he had built and acquired as a result.

Kurenai was floored when she learned that Naruto's assets and income made him one of the world's wealthiest individuals: he had a higher net worth than even Gato had in his heyday. His assets and businesses were also very widespread, with at least one business or revenue stream in every nation on the Elemental Continent, whether major or minor. She now realized exactly why he needed an office as big as his was to handle his "life/money matters".

Her curiosity piqued, she posed a question, "So how exactly do you handle running all of these businesses if they're so widespread?"

Naruto answered, "Oh, I don't directly run them all. I have regional managers and vice presidents who do all that for me. I meet with them regularly to discuss what's going on with each business, and if I need to, I'll head down to one of them myself and make an appearance, or I can send a shadow clone to do it. I've placed Hiraishin arrays in all of them, though, so I can get there without the hassle of the travel time, especially now that you and I are doing all the work we're doing here."

Kurenai nodded with raised eyebrows and a smile, clearly impressed by how he handled his affairs. He continued explaining about his businesses, many of which she was familiar with, but until now had no idea that Naruto was the owner of them: businesses such as the "Daimyo's Palace" resorts that had sprung up all across the continent that served as getaways for high-power and high-profile people as well as convention centers for various functions; or the chain of high-class restaurants known as the "Dragon and Phoenix", each one specializing in high quality cuisine from its native land or locale as well as dishes that Naruto knew of from the destroyed Uzu no Kuni and Uzushiogakure, most of which could not be prepared or ordered anywhere else.

Despite the rapt attention she was giving to what he was telling her, she found herself studying the man sitting next to her at his dining room table, a wistful, faraway smile adorning her face. She noticed the excitement that he had for his ventures, and the fondness with which he spoke of "the Pervy Sage". She found the love and fondness that he had for those precious to him very warming to her heart and soul, but this led to her noticing that when he spoke of them, that glint of isolation appeared in his eyes once more; she didn't know how she could tell, but she saw that it was there. She found that the more she got to know him, the more she began to develop certain gut instincts about what he was thinking and feeling. She chose the moment he stopped talking to see if she could peel back a few more layers of Naruto's soul.

"You miss him, still…don't you?" asked Kurenai sadly, an empathizing frown spreading across her features.

Naruto stared at her expressionlessly for a few moments as he tried to recollect his faculties and recover from his surpise. He then pursed his lips together in a tight line, closed his eyes, and sighed, hanging his head just a tad. Finally, he nodded in answer to her question.

He added, "Terribly. I never knew my father, but…the Pervy Sage was the closest thing I had to one," he smiled, both with happiness and profound sadness as so many of the good times that he remembered with the man came back to him. Kurenai's own eyes narrowed in surprise at his admission. She knew that Naruto was very fond of the man, but she had no idea that Naruto saw him as a father figure.

Naruto smiled and brought his gaze back up, looking Kurenai in the eye. With this, he began to open up a bit more, "You know, I remember the first time that I really thought about him like that. It was when we were out searching for Grandma Tsunade to bring her back here so she could be Hokage. He was also teaching me the Rasengan while we were on the road. But I remember that we stopped in Otafuku Town. There was a festival going on, and while Pervy Sage went to try to find some information so we could pick up Grandma's trail, he left me to just enjoy myself at the festival. So I did that: played a few carnival games, ordered a bunch of festival food from the vendors there…"

Naruto's smile became a bit wistful yet sad at the same time, "On my way to the field outside of town where we'd agreed to meet back up, I saw a father and his son; they were sharing a two-stick frozen popsicle," he noticed that Kurenai smiled warmly at the sweetness of that image, "and I just walked away feeling so dejected; it wasn't the first time I felt that way, but it was the first time that someone helped me with it. I decided to get back to training my Rasengan when Pervy Sage showed up. Funny enough, he had one of those two-stick popsicles…" his voice softened as he finished, "…and he shared half of it with me."

Kurenai gasped softly at this, the implication of what this had meant to Naruto at the time not being lost on her. She couldn't help but feel a bit happy for Naruto at the moment, finally knowing what it must have felt like to have a father of sorts. She also, to her surprise, found herself feeling a sentiment that she never imagined she would feel towards Jiraiya: fondness and gratitude, for giving Naruto even a small taste of what it felt like to be treasured and valued by a parent. Her thoughts wandered to what kind of a father Naruto himself might be, knowing how precious it is for a child to feel loved by his parents, and knowing what it's like to not have that. This line of thinking, of course, brought up certain other feelings that Kurenai still wasn't ready to explore just yet, so she shifted her attention back to Naruto's story.

Naruto continued, "We…had a few more moments like that, where he'd share a popsicle with me. You know, it's funny…when I heard that he had been killed, I didn't know what to feel or what to do. I remember raging at Tsunade for sending him over to Amegakure to find out more about Akatsuki, and I…" Naruto sighed sadly as he remembered being unduly cruel to Tsunade when she told him about Jiraiya's death, "…I blamed her for it. I yelled at her at the top my lungs…in front of God and everybody that it was her fault that he was dead."

Kurenai sat there, fixed in silence as her face fell. Naruto continued, "I…I was so cruel to her that day, and so many of the things I said just weren't fair. She just sat there, and let me yell at her. Even in front of the entire Konoha Eleven, and Kakashi, Guy and Yamato, she didn't stop me; she didn't try to remind me of my place; she just let me yell at her…and she…she didn't react at all. After I left the office, I could remember Sakura saying that she was going to give me a piece of her mind, but Tsunade told her that it was OK…and she understood where I was coming from.

"I ran into Iruka as I was walking out of the tower. He invited me to get some ramen, and I was so shaken up by what I'd just been told that I actually turned him down…" he couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of that moment. Kurenai's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she gaped at him. His ramen addiction was legendary; to imagine him turning down free ramen was just impossible!

Naruto stopped chuckling after a few moments and continued with his tale, "I was walking home, and I passed a convenience store. I thought of all the times Pervy Sage shared a popsicle with me, so I went inside and bought one. Then I went to one of the benches that line the roadway to the main gate, and I just sat there…not eating the popsicle…just lost in grief. That's when Iruka found me again after hearing about Pervy Sage's death. He just tried to help me as best he could, and he and I shared that popsicle…you know, it's funny, now that I think about it…but I haven't had another one since."

Kurenai visibly saddened at this. She remembered certain moments that she had treasured with her own father before he had been killed in Kyuubi's attack. She remembered that she used to love cake, because like Naruto and Jiraiya with popsicles, Kurenai and her own father had a thing for cupcakes. She hadn't touched cake herself since that fateful day; it reminded her too much of moments that she could never have with her father again, much the same as popsicles would do for Naruto with respect to Jiraiya.

Naruto finished, "I do miss Jiraiya," he paused and then chucked at the irony that he saw behind what he just said, "You know, I've hardly ever referred to the man by his name, and it…still feels kind of foreign to me to use it, even as well as I knew him. He…he was the first person to not only really know me, but…he was the first person to really understand me as well."

Kurenai nodded with a new understanding for the man in front of her. Feeling bold, she asked in a compassionate tone, "Is that why you seem so lonely most of the time?"

Naruto simply smiled at her astuteness and nodded, "Yeah, that's a big part of it…it's funny how you can still be lonely while surrounded by people, isn't it?"

Kurenai smiled back at him, "Yes, it is. And I do know how that feels, as well: the loneliness, I mean. Honestly, I can't tell you how many people have told me how lucky I am to have the physical beauty that I possess…but what they don't know is that it's been **very** hard for me to earn the respect of my colleagues and peers, and be taken seriously as a ninja…all because I possess a certain combination of features that make me very…aesthetically pleasing. I've had to work harder than most other kunoichi to show that I'm not just a pretty face or slab of meat…and knowing that so many will see me as little more than that…makes it rather lonely for me as well. So I do know what it's like for so many people to not understand you, or even bother to really try to get to know you, thinking they've already got you figured out," as she finished, she closed her eyes and let out a sad sigh.

Naruto gave a small, yet reassuring smile, "Kurenai, if it helps, I don't see you that way. I won't deny the truth behind your claims concerning your…physical attributes," he said while treading very carefully, making sure that he wasn't giving her the wrong idea, "but I primarily see a woman who has worked very hard to build a career that she can be proud of, and who **should** be taken **very** seriously, as you have attained the rank of elite jounin. I also see a woman who is…if you'll allow me…as smart and as strong of character as she is beautiful. And a woman that I'm proud to work with, train…and over the last week, call my friend."

Kurenai had almost been moved to tears by what he had just said to her. Nobody had ever talked to her like that and been so genuine in their sentiments; not even Asuma. It wasn't that Asuma didn't feel that way; it was just that he didn't have the same way with words that Naruto did. What had also moved her to such a degree was that Naruto was coming to really know her, just as she was coming to really know him. Naruto just had a sense of the kind of praise or compliments that she would appreciate or value, and he did just that.

"Naruto, thank you," she began in a tone belying the sincerity of her gratitude, "that mean a lot, especially coming from someone whose opinions I am starting to greatly value," she smiled at him, pausing to bring her thoughts back to something he had mentioned a few moments ago, "You said that…missing Jiraiya was a **big part** of why you feel as lonely as you do…if you don't mind me asking, what else makes you feel that way?"

Naruto smiled at her reassuringly, sensing her slight nervousness at possibly broaching a sore subject, "I don't mind you asking the least little bit. There are a couple of other things to it. One is that I'm as strong and as skilled as I am, and people tend to stick me on this pedestal for that – I know that's just something I'm not going to be able to do a whole lot about; all I can really do is live with it. Secondly – I'm not really sure what it is, but…I just feel as though something's missing from my life. I…I thought it was a romantic partner at first, but even when I was with Hinata, that missing feeling didn't go away; I didn't feel it as strongly, certainly, but…it was still there, and I'm not exactly sure what it is."

Kurenai frowned in thought at this. It was almost as though she could identify what it might be for him that was causing that feeling, but it just wasn't coming to her. After a few moments of pondering, she decided to note it and keep it in the back of her mind for now; it would probably come to her later, and it wouldn't really do to spend too much time dwelling on it at this moment in time.

Kurenai decided to open up a little bit more to Naruto in reciprocation for what he had shared with her, "Naruto, do you remember how I told you that I didn't like cake?"

Naruto nodded, a confused frown spreading across his features as he wondered where she was going with this.

Kurenai continued, "Well…cake with me is very similar to popsicles for you."

Naruto's frown changed from a confused one to an intrigued one, "Really?"

Kurenai nodded and began her own tale, "You see, when I was younger, my father and I used to go to that little bakery and cafe that used to be on Central Square before Pain destroyed the village – it was a shame that the baker didn't make it out; I never did learn his name…anyway – whenever I did something that Dad thought was worthy of reward, he always took me to that bakery, and we would order a dozen cupcakes; we'd get two of a flavor in six different flavors…and we always switched up the flavors whenever we went there, and then we'd both have one of each of the flavors we picked out.

"The last time we did that was when I had just been promoted to chunin. That was six months before the Kyuubi attacked. Dad died defending the village; he was actually reported to have played a critical role in delaying and distracting the Kyuubi long enough for those of us who were evacuating the civilians to get them to the safehouses, and also in keeping the Kyuubi busy long enough for the Fourth Hokage to arrive and to do what he needed to do to seal it into you."

Kurenai smiled nostalgically as she remembered her father, "I've always been proud of my father; he was a courageous man…and a great dad, too. I always feel especially proud when I remember what he did that night and how he died wanting to protect all of us. But…whenever I would pass by that bakery, or whenever I would smell any kind of cake…it would bring me back to those times that I would never be able to have with him again. I haven't eaten so much as a crumb of any kind of cake ever since then…not even on my birthday."

Naruto nodded and sighed, understanding exactly what she was feeling. Kurenai commented, a wry, thoughtful expression adorning her face, "It's funny, now that I think about it…I've never told anyone that, before. I've never really thought to until now."

Naruto simply smiled at her, "Thank you."

Kurenai, confused, asked, "For what?"

Naruto responded, "For sharing something so personal with me, and just for talking to me like a real person. It's…an uncommon experience for me."

Kurenai simply nodded with a smile, and responded in kind, "Well, I should thank you for the same reason, then. I may not have the problem to the same degree that you do, but I know what it's like to be given a certain image or label. That's part of where the 'Ice Queen' persona came from, believe it or not: I got so fed up with being labeled for my looks or for being a woman, that I decided if I was going to be labeled, then I could at least be the one to decide what label I was given. It's why I started acting coldly towards people who didn't know me well."

Naruto nodded, remembering a few interactions he'd had with the woman when he was a young genin, and how she had taken a rather aloof tone and posture with him.

Naruto asked, "So is this how you usually are when you let your hair down around friends?"

Kurenai answered the question in a bemused fashion, "Actually…yes and no. Yes, I usually feel free to lighten up around my friends like this. But at the same time, I don't let my guard down this much around anyone else except Anko."

This brought a smile to Naruto's face, touching him that she would feel safe enough to let her guard down to such a degree. He felt the same way: only a **very** select few had Naruto's trust enough to let his guard down to such a degree, and if he was honest with himself, that number of people was getting smaller and smaller, as he continued to become more comfortable with showing more and more of who he really was to this woman.

As the conversation died down again, both of them found themselves blushing once more as they studied each other. Realizing the tension that was beginning to arise, Kurenai decided to change the subject, "Well…it's still early enough to go talk to the Hokage if you want to ask her about Neji; we may be able to get him here as early as tomorrow to work on our little issue."

Naruto, thankful himself for the change in subject nodded in agreement, standing up as he offered his hand to Kurenai, "Good idea. Do you want me to go ahead and take you home, or would you like to come with me?"

Kurenai, taking his hand and standing up, answered, "I'll go with you. After all, this is my project, too, you know," she added with a slight knowing smirk.

Naruto chuckled at this, "Yes it is. OK, then, next stop, Grandma's office."

He brought her in closer to himself, trying not to blush as he remembered the tension that Kurenai had just attempted to dissolve, as he wrapped his arm around her and flashed them to the Hokage Tower.

* * *

><p>Normally…Tsunade's first apprentice Shizune, while not shy, was usually meek and reserved in the presence of her master. Normally…when Tsunade was angry, Shizune was terrified. Normally…when Tsunade told her to jump, Shizune would not only ask, "how high," but also, "in what direction," and, "when should I stop". Normally…did not apply when it came to certain breaches of professionalism and protocol on Tsunade's part. Today was one of those days where things didn't go…normally. The lack of "normalcy" left Tsunade a bit ill-tempered, which was made even worse because she knew that if she tried to make her anger known to Shizune right now, that Shizune would simply put Tsunade in her place, which was in the seat of the Hokage's chair, <strong>stone-cold sober<strong>, and getting paperwork done!

Shortly after Naruto and Kurenai had left this morning, Shizune walked into Tsunade's office only to find her drinking…

* * *

><p>"<em>Lady Tsunade, I have more papers that require your attention; here they…are…" Shizune's words dropped off as she saw the sake bottle on Tsunade's desk, and the saucer in Tsunade's hand. Tsunade looked in Shizune's direction and, seeing that glare (that ironically enough, only Shizune could seem to give) that would make even men such as Orochimaru or Itachi Uchiha break out in a cold sweat, looked on in fear as Shizune stomped towards her, another huge stack of papers in her hands to be added to the five just-as-huge stacks that she had yet to work her way through. Shizune threw the stack on Tsunade's desk, the stack itself somehow remaining as orderly as if she had just gently laid it down, and walked around the desk, stopping in front of Tsunade, and leaning down until her furious glare was mere inches from Tsunade's terrified visage.<em>

_Shizune began her rant, in a volume that no human being had any business being capable of even reaching, let alone forming comprehensible speech in, "TSUNADE SEN__JU, HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO GO OVER THIS?" Shizune immediately continued in perfect cadence, her voice getting steadily louder with each word uttered, "WHILE YOU ARE BEHIND THIS DESK YOU __WILL NOT DRINK YOU WILL NOT SLEEP YOU WILL NOT PUNCH PEOPLE T__HROUGH WALLS YOU WILL NOT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM PRESENT YOURSELF AS ANYTHING LESS THAN A RESPECTABLE NINJA KAGE AND VILLAGE LEADER __**WHAT PARTS OF THIS DO YOU NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND**__?"_

_Tsunade just shrank back into her chair with each word that Shizune belted out into her now-sore ears in an effort to try to put a safe distance between herself and the object of her terror. Shizune, of course, didn't wait for an answer, as she knew Tsunade would give her none in this particular instance, just like she never had any other time this particular situation happened. While still huffing in fury at her master's terrible habits, she began to go through every nook and cranny in Tsunade's desk, and office, removing every bottle of sake from its hiding place, and then from the office._

_Tsunade, of course, would come up with a new hiding place from time to time so as to have a bottle on hand strictly for "emergencies"…and Shizune-quakes certainly qualified as emergencies in Tsunade's book. She had recently created a new hiding place in her office behind her own portrait, and had a high-quality bottle of sake hidden in there at this very moment. She allowed herself a small smirk, thinking she had pulled one over on Shizune…not that she would ever vocalize such a sentiment when Shizune was in this state._

"_And just what do you think you're smirking about, hmm?" asked Shizune, with renewed fury, this time of a much colder nature, terrifying Tsunade even more than Shizune's explosive anger. Shizune began to look around the office, allowing her sake "sixth sense" to tell her where any bottles she had missed might be. Stopping when she gazed at Tsunade's portrait, she stormed towards it, ignoring Tsunade's objections as she ripped the portrait from the wall and without looking, threw it back across the room and out the window, narrowly missing Tsunade's head in the process. Seeing the safe, Shizune grabbed the handle, and charging up chakra into her hand and arm, yanked the safe out of the wall, destroying said wall in the process._

_She turned around and informed Tsunade, "You will get these back at the end of the day when you are done with your paperwork."_

_Shizune began to leave until she heard Tsunade start to grumble under her breath. At this, Shizune turned back around __and walked back to where she had originally started yelling at Tsunade, and leaning in once more, she yelled in a tone that was just as loud as it was the first time, "__**IF YOU HAVE TIME TO GRUMP AND WHINE, YOU HAVE TIME TO STAMP AND SIGN! NOW **__**GET TO WORK**__**!**__**!**__"_

_Tsunade immediately shut up and starting reading and signing papers at a feverish pace. Shizune, satisfied that her work for the moment was done, left the office so that Tsunade would work in "peace"._

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><p>Yes, today hadn't been a "normal" day for Tsunade in the least. It was made worse when Shizune decided to clear Tsunade's calendar for the day so that she could work without any interruptions, whatsoever! In fact, the only interruptions that Shizune allowed Tsunade were lunch and dinner, which Shizune was "kind enough" to go out and get herself, along with some tea, water, and other non-alcoholic beverages, so that Tsunade didn't have to leave her desk for any reason except to maybe use the ladies' room. She sometimes hated having an apprentice that was so "thoughtful".<p>

In the middle of her mental despair at the lack of interruptions throughout her day, she was, ironically enough, interrupted…by a knock on her door.

"Enter," she responded.

The door opened, revealing Shizune with an all-too-innocent grin on her face. She announced, "Lady Tsunade, have you completed the paperwork for Naruto's Genjutsu Countering Project yet?"

"No," Tsunade answered, her resigned displeasure evident in her answer.

"Very well, then. Naruto and Kurenai are actually here to re-negotiate the mission in light of certain findings during today's trials."

Tsunade quickly looked up, thankful to be able to interact with any human being that was **not** Shizune.

"Send them in!" she ordered eagerly, causing Shizune to raised a confused eyebrow before acquiescing to her master's order. She opened the door a little wider, allowing entrance to the pair whose presence she had just announced. Naruto and Kurenai walked into the office, Shizune closing the door behind them. Naruto immediately noticed the gaping hole in the wall where he remembered Tsunade's portrait being, and raised a curious eyebrow in Tsunade's direction.

Tsunade responded, "One – it wasn't me. Two – don't ask."

Naruto simply nodded, seeing that Tsunade did in fact look as though she was at the end of her rope. He opted to get straight to business, "We need to re-negotiate the project."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, as though to say, 'I'd better like what I hear, or you're not going to like what I do'. After a few moments pause, she asked in a suspicious and annoyed tone, "Why?"

Naruto responded matter-of-factly, "I need to commission some additional help for this project, and I'm willing to pay extra to you for the inconvenience of having to re-negotiate."

'_Well, at leas__t it's good news,'_ thought Tsunade, allowing herself a small smile as she asked, "So what kind of additional help do you need?"

"Neji Hyuuga," responded Naruto. Tsunade gave a thoughtful, yet confused frown in response to this.

Naruto began to explain his reasoning, "I need someone who can see chakra, and how it flows and behaves in a person's coils. Neji's got the most fine-tuned Byakugan I know, and his help would be invaluable in this project."

Tsunade, knowing Neji's situation, gave Naruto her answer, "Naruto, I'll agree to this request, but I'm going to have to charge you even more for Neji's services, because I will have to rescind his ANBU duties for the duration of the mission. And the only reason I am agreeing to this, is because Neji and Tenten Hyuuga have a baby on the way," Naruto's eyes widened at this as he smiled while Tsunade continued, "and I have a feeling they could use the extra money. Do you have a problem with this?"

Naruto, still smiling, shook his head, "No problem at all, Grandma! Just let me know what the additional charges will be and I'll deliver them all."

Tsunade nodded, "Very well. Neji will be at your home in two days' time to help with the project. Don't be surprised if he brings Tenten with him. Neji's a bit paranoid about being at his wife's side at all times in case he needs to get her to the hospital; to the point where he's refused any duty beyond standard village patrol and Hokage guard duty. As a matter of fact…Falcon?"

An ANBU in a falcon's mask with flowing dark brown hair appeared between the Hokage and her two guests. Facing Tsunade, he dropped to one knee, bowing his head in salute to his commander-in-chief.

"Falcon, remove your mask and reveal yourself to these two if you would, please," Tsunade responded while indicating Naruto and Kurenai to the ANBU.

At this, Falcon immediately complied and turned around, facing Naruto and Kurenai. He removed his mask, revealing none other than Neji Hyuuga, wearing his typical smirk, "Good evening, Naruto, Kurenai…it's been a while, hasn't it?"

Both Naruto and Kurenai smiled at him. Naruto stepped forward and extended his hand in greeting, "It certainly has. How've you been?"

Neji took Naruto's hand and shook it in a friendly handshake as he answered, "Quite good, actually. In spite of my clan's current troubles, my family life is good. Tenten, as Lady Tsunade has told you, is with child – she's six weeks along; we just found out a couple days ago."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up at this, "Congratulations, Neji; I'm really excited for the two of you!" he exclaimed as he patted his old friend on the shoulder with his free hand.

Both men released the other's hand, while Naruto continued, "So, you've heard about the project, and what I'm paying…what do you say?"

Neji's smirk actually became a smile, "With what you're offering for it, I can't help but accept. Tell me a little more about it."

Naruto filled Neji in on the project. The project itself seemed to excite Neji greatly; the full extent of the pay he'd be receiving for it excited him even more. What excited him the most was that his duty for now would be very low-key, and he wouldn't have to worry about not being there should Tenten need to be taken to the hospital.

Naruto finished, "Well, I've been providing meals for everybody, so…you and Tenten show up at my place at noon tomorrow, and you'll have lunch and dinner. When you come by, I'll brief you about our project schedule, and what exactly I'll need for you to do. Sound good?"

"Sounds good," Neji responded, "Well, if there's nothing else," he turned to the Hokage, "Milady, may I be dismissed for the evening? I'm sure my wife would love to hear that she'll be seeing me more."

Tsunade smiled and nodded, "Of course, Neji. Good night."

Neji responded, "Thank you, Milady. Good night to you…" he paused as he then turned to Naruto and Kurenai, "…and good night to the two of you as well. I'll see you tomorrow at noon," and with this, he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto and Kurenai both helped Lady Tsunade finish filling in the details for the paperwork concerning the Genjutsu Countering Project, so that all Tsunade had to do was stamp and sign it. Half an hour later found Naruto and Kurenai leaving Tsunade's office, after wishing the Hokage and Shizune a good night.

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><p>Naruto decided that he would walk Kurenai home tonight. Their route took them through the market district. As they were strolling along, reviewing with each other the results of the day's earlier clinical trials for the project and what they learned, they noticed what appeared to be a contingent of Hyuuga Clan members doing what could only be described as standing guard out front of one of Konoha's finer clothing stores. Kurenai frowned at the scene, knowing that these men were Hinata's escorts, yet another indicator of Hinata's change from kind, caring girl to cold, aloof Clan heir. She noticed Naruto venturing a little closer to the store and decided to follow him.<p>

Naruto just felt that there was something off about the scene before him, which is what prompted him to investigate a little closer to see if he could glean a little more information. As he got closer, he heard what sounded like a heated argument inside of the store. He frowned grimly at this and began to stride towards the store's entrance. As he approached, the men standing guard, all Branch family members now that Naruto was close enough to see their wrappings or headhands around their foreheads, all moved closer, barring him entry.

"I'm sorry, Lord Namikaze," began the man who appeared to be in charge of the contingent, "but Lady Hinata has instructed us to refuse entry to anyone while she's in the premises."

Naruto was not happy with this, "Well, you can tell Lady Hyuuga," the form of address was not lost on either Kurenai or the contingent, "that she can feel free to keep people from shopping in any businesses that she owns all she likes. But seeing as I own the building you're currently guarding, you will move aside and allow me entry, or I will forcibly move all of you," Naruto warned them as he narrowed his eyes and flared a little killing intent, "and believe me…you don't want me to do that."

The contingent all began to sweat at the pressure they were feeling. Both Naruto and Kurenai also noticed that the inside of the store grew quiet as Naruto had done that. The Hyuuga contingent simply bowed before him and moved aside, "Our apologies, Lord Namikaze. We were simply following orders; truth be told, we don't like this any more than you do."

"Not a problem. But please, make sure that your lady gets the word that I will not tolerate her doing this on my property, or in any other Konoha business that she does not herself own," he finished as he entered the store, Kurenai following, the Hyuuga contingent all following him with their gaze.

The moment Naruto entered the store, he spiked some of his killing intent once more and spoke very loudly in such a manner as to make sure that not only was he heard, but that it was understood that he meant business, "**Is there a problem, here?**"

The first person to turn their head in Naruto's direction was the sales associate who was manning the store at the time. The young girl, who couldn't be any older than sixteen, looked to be frightened to near hysterics, her green eyes having welled up with tears that had not yet begun to flow. She had wavy honey-brown hair that extended to her shoulder blades and was kept in a pony tail, and was wearing a stylish cream-colored V-neck blouse with sleeves that frilled out at the elbows and ended at the upper edge of her forearms, the lower hem of the torso ending over black, cotton pants that hugged her hips and began to flare ever so slightly at the knee. On her feet, she wore casual, yet classy high-heel zip-up boots that appeared to be low-top, ending at just above the ankle, but covered by the hem of her pants. The fear in her eyes, if Naruto had to hazard a guess, had probably been instilled by her current and only customer.

Said customer then slowly turned her head towards the source of the firm voice, showing herself to be none other than Hinata Hyuuga, soon-to-be Head of the Hyuuga Clan, her dark indigo hair put up in an ornate, elegant fashion, her style of dress having changed from a baggy coat and loose pants to a sleeveless, form-fitting lavender battle dress that accentuated her impressive bust, the skirt extending down to just above her ankles, but slit along the sides all the way to the hip, revealing legs that were covered in black leggings extending underneath elegant, black knee-high high-heeled shinobi sandal boots. At first glance, she would have been considered the epitome of nobility, grace and elegant beauty were it not for two things: the presence of Kurenai Yuhi, a woman who, even wearing her simple bandage-style dress with a single sleeve, outclassed the Hyuuga Heiress in all of these qualities, and the expression on Hinata's face.

Her beautiful face was currently in the perpetual mild scowl that always seemed to adorn it these days. It had become so bad that the overall shape of her face had changed slightly, indicating that she spent so much time scowling and so little time smiling over the last two years that the muscles responsible for those facial expressions had strengthened and atrophied accordingly. It was her eyes, however, that contributed most to making this outwardly beautiful woman seem ugly. Those wondrous lavender eyes, once filled with kindness and compassion, giving her an angelic quality, were now hard, cold and cruel. One could see the bitterness in Hinata's soul through those eyes, and to those who knew the source of that bitterness, it was truly a sad thing to see. Both Naruto and Kurenai found themselves feeling saddened and disappointed with the woman standing before them now, and it apparently showed in their gaze.

As Hinata noticed Naruto, there was a brief flash of love in her eyes, followed immediately by cold anger. As she noticed Kurenai, she didn't know what to feel in response to this. She had always seen Kurenai as a mother figure, and the feelings that could be discerned in her initial gaze reflected this. She flinched ever so slightly as she noticed the hurt yet resigned look of disappointment that she saw in Kurenai's expression. The fact that she was here at the same time as Naruto made it that much more painful.

Hinata quickly collected herself and schooled her features and posture into an air of noble indifference. She responded in a tone that belied quiet, cold, controlled anger, "No. There is no problem. I was just on my way out."

She walked towards the entrance, passing by the pair. As she saw Kurenai shaking her head sadly, Hinata felt a flash of anger at the pity that her former sensei seemed to be showing her. As she passed Naruto, she heard him warn her in a low tone, "Do not harass any of my employees or business partners in their places of business again. Do not bar entry into any places of business that I own again. If you have complaints, you can present them either to my partners or to me in a civil fashion, and we will address them quickly and accordingly. Do you have a problem with this…Lady Hyuuga?"

Feeling that flash of anger again, this time coupled with some hurt (she hated being addressed as 'Lady Hyuuga' by him), she looked directly at him before almost immediately schooling her features into the cold indifference that she was now known for and responding, "No, Lord Namikaze. I have no problem with this, and I will conduct myself accordingly in the future."

With this, she turned her gaze forward and left the store, not looking back to either Naruto or Kurenai. As she left the store, her contingent fell into file around her, the group heading back to the direction of the Hyuuga Compound. Naruto let out a sigh that he didn't realize he'd been holding. Kurenai simply schooled her own features into a more neutral expression than she had been wearing a moment ago at the sadness she felt for the person her 'daughter' had become. The sales associate, however, simply broke down into tears.

At this, Naruto simply went over to her and gently placed both hands on her shoulders, his voice laced with concern, "Hey, Aina, are you alright?"

The now-identified Aina simply nodded that she was, "Yes sir, I'm OK. I just…didn't know how to handle that situation. I didn't know if she would become hostile or violent, or what…"

Naruto simply shushed her, and attempted to comfort and reassure her, "Hey, it's OK. Dealing with shinobi can be like that. You can rest assured that she was trying to do nothing more than intimidate you. She wouldn't have hurt you; she would have been in serious trouble if she had tried, and she knows it."

Naruto looked over to Kurenai, "Kurenai, can you close and lock the door, and turn the closed sign, please?"

Kurenai nodded and did as asked. Naruto gestured to her to wait for a moment while he escorted Aina back into the office behind the stock room.

When they had gotten into the store's office, Naruto gestured to the frightened girl to take a seat, while he took one across from her.

"Now, can you tell me what that was all about?" Naruto asked in a gentle, concerned tone.

"Well, sir…" Aina began.

Naruto interrupted her, "Now Aina…" he began himself, with mock-firmness, "What have I told you about calling me 'sir' or 'Lord Namikaze'?"

Aina couldn't help but laugh a bit at this, even through her tears, as she answered, "Not to…Naruto."

Naruto smiled, "See? Is that so hard?"

Aina smiled herself as she shook her head in the negative, "No, it's not…I just don't want to be inappropriate, is all."

Naruto responded, this time with a smirk, "Well, seeing as I'm the employer, and you're the employee, don't you think it's up to me to decide what manner of address is either appropriate or inappropriate for you to use when talking to me?"

Aina's smile became a resigned one, knowing that she wouldn't win this argument, "Yes, si…" Naruto raised his eyebrows and look at her in a pointed fashion, "err…Naruto, you're right. It'll just take some getting used to."

Naruto nodded in satisfaction, "Well, don't worry about it…I just don't like formalities from people who work for me. You help my business, and you're a vital part of it, and that makes you a teammate in my eyes. Now…let's get back to my first question: What was Lady Hyuuga giving you a hard time over?"

"Well, she came in, wanting me to show her what we had in stock. I showed her around the store as best I could, and it just seemed that nothing I showed her would make her happy, and that if there was something specific she had in mind, I could special-order it for her, or that we could even take her measurements and tailor her anything she'd like.

"This seemed to anger her. It started with simple snide comments that I just tried to shrug off and ignore," Naruto nodded in approval at the way she explained her handling of the situation, "and I just continued to show her what we had in stock, but she just seemed to get angrier. Her snide comments started turning into outbursts aimed specifically at me, and I just…" she began to tear up, remembering the killing intent of the Hyuuga woman, "…I tried to diffuse the situation as best I could, but she just continued getting angrier and angrier…and that's when you showed up."

Naruto simply pulled the young girl into a comforting hug and soothed her, "Hey, you did nothing wrong at all. In fact, I'm rather proud of you for how you handled the situation. OK?"

She pulled back and smiled, nodding in gratitude at her employer. Naruto stood up, with Aina following suit.

"So, how about we go back out there and get Kurenai some clothes so you can make some sales, huh?" asked Naruto, with a knowing smirk. Aina smiled as she wiped the last of her tears from her eyes, following Naruto as he led her back out into the store. They noticed a patiently-waiting Kurenai turning in their direction as they both came back into the sales floor of the store.

Naruto smiled at the ruby-eyed jounin, "Everything's fine, now. Aina here is a real credit to this store, and I'm glad to have her on board. And since I closed the store early tonight, you and I are going to give her a hand."

Kurenai raised a single eyebrow in curiosity at this declaration, "OK. How are we going to do that?"

"You," he responded, pointing at Kurenai with a grin, "are going to go on a shopping spree in this store right now, that is completely on me. Anything you want to pick up, you can. Any services you want to order, feel free. And Aina, here," he gestured to Aina, "is going to make a very good commission tonight, AND go home early!"

Both women smiled at this, and Aina began showing Kurenai around the store in much the same manner that she had done with Hinata, but unlike the Hyuuga, Kurenai was highly impressed with the superior level of service that Aina was providing. After an hour or so of roaming, mixed in, of course, with some girl-talk, which was accompanied with a few furtive glances by both ladies in Naruto's direction, Kurenai had decided on her final selections: Fifteen new blouses of the same style that Aina was currently wearing, in various shades of white, red and black, as well as twelve accompanying pairs of fine cotton pants, also in the same style that Aina wore, ranging from black to varying shades of grey, to a few shades of tan and light brown. Of course, being a woman, she had to buy at least five pairs of shoes for every corresponding outfit, resulting in her buying around eighty pairs of shoes, give or take. Kurenai at this point had two concerns. One – how was she going to get it all home? And two – where would she put it all?

Naruto addressed both of these concerns, "Don't worry. We have a delivery service to get what you can't carry out of here delivered to you. And for storage, I'll paint a few seals for you so that you can store what won't fit out in the open. How does that sound?"

Kurenai sighed with relief and nodded, not wanting to put anything back on the shelf. Aina sighed as well, just as relieved that she could still sell it all to her. After ringing everything up, including the fee for the delivery service, Naruto told Aina to just put the very sizeable total of 35,000 ryo on his tab, ensuring that Aina would be making her 15% commission on everything sold today: A rather sizeable 5,250 ryo – not bad for a single night's take-home.

Aina tallied it up, and made the arrangements to have everything delivered to Kurenai's home, but Naruto told her that would not be necessary. As they expressed their confusion, Naruto just spammed out twenty shadow clones, who started collecting Kurenai's merchandise and vanished in several different swirls of leaves, making their way to Kurenai's home. Naruto told Aina that she could close out for the night, a full two hours early, before he and Kurenai vanished in a swirl of leaves themselves.

As the pair reappeared outside of Kurenai's apartment, Kurenai couldn't help but comment, "Nice girl. I was thoroughly impressed with her service; I can't imagine what Hinata would have had to complain about."

Naruto frowned at this, "I'm not sure, either. I think that she went into the store deciding that she wasn't going to be happy regardless of what was said or done. At least, that's the impression I get from hearing Aina's story."

Kurenai nodded sadly, and dropped the topic. Getting her keys out, she unlocked her home, and gestured for Naruto and his clones to follow her in. Once they were all inside, Naruto pulled out a scroll and began to paint what Kurenai guessed were storage seals on it, but they were unlike any storage seals that Kurenai had ever seen before. They seemed much more complex in design and pattern than the standard storage seals that she had either painted herself or seen sold at the Wolf's Claw.

Naruto noted her fascination and explained the seal to her, "I'm painting a few additional features into the seals for you. I'm painting an indexing feature that'll allow you to select exactly what you want from the seal without having to unseal and reseal everything else. It's something you'll be able to do before too much longer."

Kurenai nodded in fascination as a question came to mind, "Why aren't seals like this sold at typical shinobi gear stores?"

"Honestly," responded Naruto, entering lecture mode, "because I'm the only person living right now who can paint a seal like this. Most people who create scrolls and paper bombs really don't know what they're doing; they just take a design that they've seen works and copy it over and over again, really without understanding the mechanics behind the seal itself."

"But," continued Kurenai, her curiosity aroused once again, "Aren't the people who paint those things considered seal experts, if not seal masters?"

Naruto rolled his eyes at the idea, continuing his work, "No…those things are painted by hacks who pass themselves off as seal experts and seal masters. And this is exactly why I told you that, unless it was for purposes of study, I didn't want you ever buying another seal from a store," he finished his painting as he turned to her, "Two months from now, you'll be able to far outdo anything that's sold at the Wolf's Claw."

Kurenai couldn't help but give an impressed and intrigued smirk at this idea. She looked forward to the day where she could do some of the things that she was currently watching Naruto doing. Naruto took a few moments to show her some of the features of the seals in the scroll, showing her how to store all of the items into it, and how to retrieve each specific item one at a time. As impressed as Kurenai was to watch him apply the seal, she was even more impressed by watching the seal work as he said it was supposed to!

After everything was said and done, Naruto decided to take his leave, wishing Kurenai a good night while telling her he'd see her in the morning for training. Kurenai expressed the same to Naruto and showed him out. She closed the door, once again wearing a wistful smile as she pondered the man who had just left her home…not realizing that Naruto was smiling in very much the same way in thoughts of the woman whose company he had just left as he made his own way home.

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><p><strong>Quick note: I will use Kurenai's databook stats as found on Narutopedia to give you an idea as to how she'll be growing under Naruto's training. Naruto's stats will not be listed, as many of Naruto's own stats are beyond even 5, which is the limit that the databook gives for each stat. He is essentially too powerful to define in this nature, but I can create numbers beyond 5 for him if anyone would like (Leave in a review if you would like to see this).<strong>

**Kurenai Yuhi's current stats by end of this chapter (she's only been training a week, so no noticeable change from the databook yet):**

**Ninjutsu: 4/5  
>Taijutsu: 45  
>Genjutsu: 55  
>Intelligence: 45  
>Strength: 25  
>Speed: 45  
>Stamina: 25  
>Hand Seals: 4.55  
>Total Stats: 29.540  
>Overall Skill Ranking: Low A-Rank<strong>

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><p><strong>And that's Chapter 4! Please, as I mentioned above, take the time to leave a review, even if it's just a few brief words, and even if you've left one before – if nothing els<strong>**e, you can let me know if my writing's improving or not. All reviews are appreciated and welcome; I simply ask that if you're going to criticize, do it in a helpful way, and if possible, offer tips as to how I can fix things.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto does.**** I am therefore making no money off of this at all.**

**As always, thank you so much to those who have reviewed, offered suggestions, and just left good, detailed feedback. Special thanks to: Meech Macko, soprano-in-waiting, Kur0kishi, Crypton89, Vanex, cj-cold and Reyana00.**

**Special thanks also to Haymitch Abernathy and ObsoleteWeHaveBecome for pointing out errors that I had missed, giving me the opportunity to go back and make corrections.**

**Spe****cial thanks to Tristan Ludlam for helping me not to doubt my ability to foreshadow and leave hints: There have been some who have had a difficult time understanding the change in Hinata's nature, going so far as to say that it doesn't make sense. He says ****it all in his r****e****view well enough, so instead of ranting here, I'll simply say: ****Please read Tristan Ludlam's review for chapter 4 if you're one of the people who say that Hinata's change doesn't make any sense.**

**Further thanks go to all who I might have miss****ed who have left encouraging words for me; they are greatly appreciated, and they have been a great help to me to continue writing and delivering more material to you; please keep them coming!**

**A very special thanks goes to ****Kur0Kishi**** for not only his praise****, but also for the sincerest form of flattery: asking me if he could use snippets of my writing in his own story. I was quite glad to give him my permission to do so, as I have written scenes for two other st****o****ries as well: Technological Maelstrom, by Saba****ku Ookami, and Riseing Maelstrom, by Wo****l****fLeader4000. For those of you who have not read ****Kur0Kishi****'s story: Amethyst Love, I re****c****ommend it. I also recommend his other story: A Mother's Blessings. His writing style is very clear and concise, and he tells a ****very good story.**

**UPDATE: 8/27/2011 - Thanks to lednacek for pointing out in a review that if a messenger hawk could drop a scroll into Naruto's front yard so freely, that anyone else could drop a rock that was covered in paper bombs into his front yard just as easily. While I didn't think if this, it is something Naruto in this story WOULD have thought of, so props to lednacek on that! I've corrected that little issue...**

**And now, Chapter 5!**

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><p>Naruto, Kurenai and Neji were all in the Hokage's office, currently standing at attention before Tsunade. This last month had produced greater results than any of them could have ever hoped for. All three of them found it very difficult to contain their enthusiasm at giving their progress reports to the Hokage.<p>

Tsunade studied them for a moment before sitting down in her chair. She looked at them and gave the order, "Report."

Naruto allowed Neji and Kurenai to report on the current status of the Genjutsu Countering Project first. Kurenai briefed Tsunade about the initial success of the first set of field tests involved sensory genjutsu, even when multiple layers of genjutsu were involved. She told the Hokage about how Naruto was able to "latch on" to the chakra entering his body, no matter the point of entry, and he was able to purge it from his body before it was able to even affect him. She briefed her as well about Naruto's new "chakra flow indentification" skill as he dubbed it, leaving a very impressed Tsunade. She then reported Naruto's difficulty with mental/emotional genjutsu, which is what prompted them to enlist Neji's services in the first place.

Neji chose this point to take over the briefing. He had informed Tsunade that when he paid attention to Naruto's chakra flow, and the flow of the chakra that Kurenai had sent into his body when performing genjutsu that attacked his mind, he noticed the chakra behaving differently, as though it was behaving more as particles as opposed to "solid chakra". As Neji had contined to observe, he gave the suggestion that instead of trying to latch on to it, he should try to "encase" it, instead. Naruto did this, essentially learning to use his own chakra as a magnet of sorts against the particular nature of the chakra that was attacking his mind. This seemed to work, though Naruto needed to spend most of the rest of the month practicing this skill, and, while proficient at it, he had not yet mastered it, and it certainly wasn't ready for field tests yet.

Neji informed the Hokage that both he and Naruto were practicing these skills, and that with more practice, and as they shared their own findings with each other, that he and Naruto should have the chakra encasement skill mastered by the time the next progress report was due at the latest. Still working on mastering this skill, they had not gotten to exploring ways to counter environmental genjutsu yet. Kurenai and Neji both summed up that they thought the project would need more than six months to complete.

Tsunade looked at Naruto to get his opinion. Naruto simply nodded in agreement with the two of them. Deciding that they didn't need to renegotiate the mission or the contract just yet, Tsunade moved to the next point of discussion, dismissing Neji, as his presence was no longer required. Neji took his leave with a bow, returning home to his wife.

As Neji had left, Tsunade turned to Naruto and Kurenai, and asked them for their report concerning Kurenai's fuinjutsu education and the training that Naruto was giving to her. Both Naruto and Kurenai broke out into excited smiles as they began to share their past month in training with their Hokage, who hadn't missed the fact that they were starting to finish each other's sentences…

* * *

><p><em>Training had continued for Kurenai much as it had during the first week, with gradual increases in weight and number of reps. Additional stretches, acrobatics training, and dodging of high-speed projectiles while performing the morning routine had also been added to the workout. She both cursed Naruto for his ever-increasing sadism in training, and sang his praises for the number of chakra tags he had created that performed healing jutsu using converted medical chakra. Over the course of the month, her overall strength evened out to the point where she was performing the same number of exercises with both the left and right arm or leg, and she was also now adding chakra into many of her attacks and movements in so many different ways that she found it hard to be able to list them all.<em>

_The most impressive skill that she had recently acquired, though, was her ability to negate chakra from the physical attacks of others. Neji had graciously volunteered to be her guinea pig for this skill: when Neji tried closing her tenketsu points, or flooding chakra into her body, she was able to disperse the attacking chakra at just the right moment before he was able to eject it into her, essentially making Gentle Fist strikes useless against her. As impressed as he was with this skill, and with the fact that Naruto seemed to possess a greater mastery of it than Kurenai did, he asked if the two of them could keep that ability under wraps for now (he didn't need Hiashi or Hinata getting wind of the fact that he had inadvertently helped them create a counter to most of the Gentle Fist's offensive techniques)._

_Over the month itself, Kurenai's weights had increased by a total combined amount of 75 lbs or so, and she had doubled the number of reps that she was performing, showing greater increases in speed and stamina than in overall strength, though she had gotten stronger as well. She had also started using the frictionless ropes for combined chakra/strength/speed training, resulting in further increases in both her reserves and her fine-tuned control._

_Naruto had also started training her ninjutsu as well. This, of course, started with a further-expanded lecture on chakra theory as it related to ninjutsu, as well as telling her about some concepts that he himself had uncovered and coined._

"_OK, Kurenai…as we train your ninjutsu, we'll also get you started on your change in chakra nature to fire chakra. You'll develop an understanding of how fire chakra feels, how it flows, and what it can do when used in jutsu. We__'re also going to beef up your ninjutsu arsenal while we're doing this so that you'll have more practice with how chakra flow feels when performing ninjutsu as opposed to performing genjutsu or taijutsu. I can't really speak from experience on this, but m__y understand is that chakra flow when performing ninjutsu is more…'regimented', for lack of a better word, while chakra flow for genjutsu is a little more free-flowing. The best way I understand it is that chakra flow in genjutsu is more like an 'art', wh__ereas ninjutsu treats chakra flow more like a 'science'."_

_Kurenai once again nodded, showing that she understood the analogy he had made. In truth, she did allow her chakra to flow more freely than most, simply due to the nature of her specialty. With the few ninjutsu she did know, she noticed that the chakra flow had to be much more measured and precise than it did for her genjutsu._

_Naruto continued his lecture, "Before I talk more about change in chakra nature to fire chakra, I want to talk about the concept of 'chakra memory'."_

"_Chakra memory?" Kurenai asked, confused at the new term._

"_Yes. Chakra memory, as I've come to call it, is a lot like muscle memory, in that like your muscles remember exactly how to move in certain ways once you've trained them enough, so also, the chakra coils remember exactly how to mold chakra once you've molded it in specific ways enough times. This is a bit like chakra control, but it's not quite the same. It's chakra memory that allows a shinobi to use a jutsu without the required hand seals, because their chakra network has molded the chakra in the exact ratios enough times to know exactly how it's done. You, for example, can substitute and transform without hand signs, right?"_

_Kurenai nodded in the affirmative._

"_Could you always?" Naruto asked in response._

_Kurenai simply shook her head in the negative before adding, "But I do remember it becoming steadily easier for me to do that, and one day I found I didn't need to use the hand seals…because exactly as you said, my chakra almost seemed to mold itself."_

"_And __**that**__, Kurenai, is __**chakra memory **__**at work**__!" said Naruto, seeing that she understood exactly what he was saying. He continued, "Now, the nice thing about chakra memory is: because it's a function of the chakra network__, shadow clones can be used to train and increase it!"_

_Kurenai nodded and allowed a smile to grace her lips at this. She was beginning to see the possibilities of this kind of training, even though she wouldn't be able to do it to anywhere near the degree that Naruto could, she knew that she could still benefit from training using about ten shadow clones at once right now as opposed to her original effective limit of five._

_Naruto led her outside to the rear grounds and brought her to a tree. He jumped up, broke one of the branches off the tree, and laid the branch on the ground. Kurenai looked on in confusion._

_Naruto then explained what she was going to do, "You are going to create a few clones, and they are going to train to burn a leaf using only their chakra. Let me demonstrate," he finished before he picked a leaf from the branch he had just retrieved, sent some chakra into it, and held the leaf as it began to smoke and then catch fire._

"_As you can see," Naruto continued, "Fire is not my main element, so it takes me longer to train it and shape it than it does for me to shape wind. However, burning the leaf will be easier for you once you master how to do it. Now, as I said before, each change in chakra nature feels different; take wind, for example: it's a cutting element, so when I'm molding wind chakra, I'm trying to imagine my chakra as though it's like two thin and razor-sharp edges, grinding against each other, creating a cutting effect. I'll demonstrate this as well," he paused as he picked up a leaf, channeled chakra into it, showing Kurenai that it cut into several bits, and quite a bit faster than he had been able to set the leaf on fire before._

_Naruto contined once again, "What you want to do to change your chakra's nature into fire chakra is to imagine your chakra getting really hot really fast, to the point where when it 'catches flame', so to speak, the release of heat feels self-sustaining. Hot and self-sustaining is what you're after, does that make sense?"_

_She nodded in the affirmative after Naruto's demonstration._

"_OK, then. Make ten shadow clones and start them on this," Naruto ordered. Kurenai complied, making ten shadow clones and starting each of them on the leaf burning exercise as ordered._

_As Kurenai's clones would work on that__, Naruto would alternate days between bringing the original Kurenai into the fuinjutsu lab and get her to work on her seal painting and etching technique, and working on his clinical trials for the Genjutsu Countering Project with Neji. While she was work__ing on her seal painting technique, he began to show her how to create a few basic seals (well, basic for him, anyway, as his "basic" seals could outstrip anything one could buy at any shinobi gear store, __anywhere), as well as showing her how seal nodes an__d ports work, and demonstrating conduits as he made some simple seal arrays __**(1)**__._

_She had gotten leaf burning mastered easily enough; it had only taken her a week or so to master it, as her fine-tuned chakra control was already extraordinary, so Naruto moved her on to setting a downed tree ablaze using nothing but her chakra. This task she found a little daunting, and during the time she had been practicing this exercise, there was more than one occasion where her clones would dispel simply because they ran out of chakra. She was still working to master this exercise, as she could make certain spots on the tree catch fire at the moment, but she couldn't set the whole tree ablaze in one shot yet._

_While doing this, Naruto also beefed up her fire-style ninjutsu arsenal with the "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu", the "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu", the "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu", the "Fire Style: Flame Bomb", and the "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb". He also taught her the "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu", the "Kunai Shadow Clone Jutsu", and one that quickly became a favorite of hers, the "Exploding Shadow Clone". Learning these jutsu had been easy enough, but she had to work very hard to try to master them, another exercise that found her chakra control and reserves increasing more and more, though training ninjutsu made her feel as though her chakra control was taking two steps back for every three steps forward._

_This feeling only got worse when Naruto had finally introduced chakra shape manipulation during the last week…_

* * *

><p>"Sorry Grandma, I'm afraid that I'm using a Namikaze Clan technique to train her ability to change chakra shape, so I can't discuss the details of it; I'm sure you understand."<p>

Tsunade sighed and nodded reluctantly. She had been highly impressed with what Naruto and Kurenai had shared so far about the progress they were making in Kurenai's training. Tsunade could begin to see the change in Kurenai: she carried herself with a lot more confidence and poise than she had even before, and the overall shape of her body was also beginning to change: she was becoming even leaner than she was before, certain curves starting to become more accentuated with some added lean muscle underneath enhancing Kurenai's overall curvature.

Looking back up at the pair, she noticed absently once again that they seemed to fit very well together: both were very good-looking people, both extraordinary ninja, and both of them just seemed to like being around each other. She smirked at the pair as she allowed herself to ponder the possibilities. Kurenai raised a nervous eyebrow at the busty blonde, while Naruto narrowed his eyes in suspicion at her. Tsunade caught Naruto's look and, knowing that he knew that her smirk typically meant trouble for him, schooled her features back into a pleasant smile.

"Excellent news, both of you!" she praised her two subordinates as she continued, "I look forward to continued reports of your progress. You're dismissed."

Both Kurenai and Naruto bowed to her and left her office. Tsunade allowed her mind to start working again towards the direction of Naruto and Kurenai as a possible couple once again after they had walked out the door. Naruto and Kurenai, on the other hand, found themselves walking through the streets of Konoha. While they usually did this in the early evenings, it was now just shy of noon, and the pair were heading towards the Hyuuga Compound to invite Neji and Tenten Hyuuga to join them for lunch at the Akimichi BBQ Pit to celebrate their progress in the Genjutsu Countering Project. Since they had left the Hokage's office, Kurenai couldn't help but think back to the chakra shape manipulation training exercises she had been doing in the last week…

* * *

><p><em>Naruto began his lecture on chakra form manipulation, "Now that you're well on your way to mastering your change in chakra nature to at least one element, we're going to get you started on change in chakra form. As I've said before, this is important for several reasons. The main reason it's important for you is that it's one more method that will add to the variety of ways in which you control and manipulate your chakra, which will further increase your overall chakra control giving you access to more and more genjutsu.<em>

"_It's also important in ninjutsu and taijutsu, and even has benefits in kenjutsu. With ninjutsu, it enables you to more easily shape your attacks and the jutsu themselves into things like: dragons, walls, bullets, senbon needles, all kinds of things. With taijutsu, manipulating the form of your chakra when adding it to a punch or kick, for example, can make the attack cause more blunt-force trauma, or it can add a cutting effect if you make it thin and sharp, much like with wind-based ninjutsu, for example. Chakra can be channeled through weapons and blades in this manner as well, also increasing the diversity of attacks performed when using them. Any questions so far?"_

_Kurenai shook her head, letting him know that she understood his explanation._

_Naruto nodded, "Good. Then follow me," as he walked out into the rear grounds of his estate. Kurenai followed him to a bucket filled with what looked like…_

"_Water balloons?" asked Kurenai in a tone denoting her confusion._

_Naruto nodded, "That's right. What I'm about to show you is the first stage in a three-part chakra shape manipulation exercise; I'm afraid it's the only one I'm really familiar with that can train someone in shape manipulation from scratch, so it's what I'm going to use to teach you…and if you perform all three stages well, there'll be a really nice little bonus for you at the end of it."_

_Kurenai nodded, still confused but also intrigued by the possibility of the "bonus" that Naruto mentioned. Naruto picked up one of the water balloons and held it in his right hand._

"_Watch the balloon," he instructed her. She did as asked, and watched the balloon begin to bubble and burst within about two seconds. Her eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed in thought as she tried to decipher what she saw and figure out what happened._

_Naruto, whose teaching style was a little more informative than his master's, decided to fill Kurenai in, "The first part of this exercise is about rotation. Using just chakra, no change in nature, you make the balloon burst. I'll perform this part again a little more slowly, and I want you to tell me what you see."_

_With this, he picked up another water balloon, and began to stream chakra into it more slowly than before. This time, the balloon took about seven seconds to burst as the water inside of it seemed to spin in a single direction, and then began to bubble more and more before finally bursting from the seeming boil, Kurenai observing very closely the whole time to discern as much as she could about what had happened._

_After a few moments of contemplation, she began to tell him her conclusions, "Well, I saw that the water seemed to rotate in one direction at first…" she paused before playing what she saw over and over in her mind's eye, continuing when she believed she had it, "It started to bubble more and more the more you did it…but now that I think about it, not all of the points where the balloon bubbled travelled in the same direction, did they?" she finished with a question so that Naruto could either confirm or deny her conclusion._

_Naruto gave her a knowing smirk, "Good eye. What does that tell you about how to complete this part of the exercise?"_

_Kurenai thought for a moment before answering knowingly, "It means that I have to somehow make my chakra rotate in as many directions as I can at once in order to make the balloon burst."_

"_Excellent," complimented Naruto. He picked up two water balloons this time and told her, "This stage of the exercise will be complete when you can do this within two seconds, ten times in a row," as he told her this, he made both balloons burst within about a second after he added chakra to them._

_Kurenai nodded, and started the exercise. Even with her control, she found the sheer concentration of trying to move her chakra in multiple ways to be rather difficult. She could manage about seven different rotations at first, but it wasn't quite enough to make the balloon burst._

_Remembering Naruto's lesson about chakra memory, she immediately created five shadow clones, as she already had ten trying to set fire to the tree. These five shadow clones each grabbed a balloon from the bucket and started trying to make them burst. After about 30 minutes, one of the clones succeeded, making the balloon burst within six seconds. Kurenai and the rest of her clones looked at the successful clone excitedly. The clone dispelled, passing her information on to Kurenai and her remaining clones._

_When they realized what the clone had done and how, the Kurenais went back to trying to make the balloons burst once more, all of them completing the exercise at different rates of time. Kurenai let the other clones dispel, and they passed their information on to her, showing her what worked and what didn't, and also giving her some ideas on how to combine certain ideas to make the balloon burst faster. By the end of that first day of training, She was able to burst a single balloon within the two-second window._

_Before calling it a day, however, she grew ambitious, and decided to try her hand at bursting two balloons at once, just as Naruto had demonstrated. She found this to be quite a bit more difficult, as it required greater concentration in trying to rotate her chakra in two separate places at the same time. This would continue until about the third day, when Kurenai finally succeeded in making both balloons burst within the two-second time limit that Naruto had set for her._

_Naruto immediately moved her into the second part of the exercise, going into his training dojo and coming back with several bags filled with hard rubber balls. He retrieved one of the balls and showed her the objective of the second part of the exercise as within another two-second time frame, he caused the rubber ball to "boil" and burst. Kurenai noted that the explosion of the rubber ball was much more powerful than the bursting of the water balloon._

_Naruto began to explain, "This is the second stage of the exercise. Its purpose: power. The power comes in by using your chakra to move the air in the ball in much the same way that you did to rotate the water inside the balloon. The differences in this exercise, namely the fact that the density of air is infinitesimal compared to that of water, and that the surface of the rubber ball is much tougher than that of a water balloon, will require to use more chakra, and also to generate greater force with it."_

_Kurenai nodded her understanding as he explained so that he would not have to stop or slow down. Naruto continued to explain, "We'll complete this exercise in three stages as well. The first stage of completion will be when you can burst the rubber ball as I just did within a two-second time limit. The second stage," as he explained, he picked up a rubber ball in each of his hands and forcibly made them explode almost instantaneously, "…will be when you can burst one in each hand within the two-second time limit."_

_Naruto picked up yet another ball and just held it at his side as he finished his explanation, "The third stage of completion, and this is when we'll consider it mastered, is when you're able to do it within two seconds while ***BOOM*** concentrating on something else, meaning you can do it almost without consciously exerting effort. OK?"_

_The BOOM had been the rubber ball exploding while Naruto had been explaining to Kurenai the third stage, demonstrating that he was paying almost no attention to his adding and rotating of chakra into the ball. Kurenai nodded in response once more._

_Naruto, knowing Kurenai's focus on fine-tuned control of her chakra as opposed to controlling it in such a way as to generate power or force, gave her some words of warning and encouragement, "Kurenai, before you begin, I want you to bear in mind that this stage is probably going to be the most difficult one for you. As far as improving chakra control and reserves goes, this will probably be like taking 3 steps forwards, 2 steps back. Your control may suffer a bit for a little while, but as we complete the third stage of the exercise, it should catch right back up. Also…one of the things that I've learned this exercise does is it forces the tenketsu points on your hands to become more flexible to be able to open wider; basically, your hands are going to hurt…a lot. But if you stick with it, your tenketsu points will adjust._

"_It's this adaptation of the tenketsu points in your hands that will cause your control to suffer for a while, but remember what I said about chakra memory: this is one instance where your chakra memory will increase your control, because your tenketsu points will know exactly how big or small they'll need to be in order to perform this jutsu. There's also an optional fourth stage in this training that I developed as well that will help further with exact and specific control. So I would encourage you to stick with this; believe me, it will be worth it in the end, OK?"_

_Kurenai nodded once more without hesitation, a look of determination on her face as she prepared to engage in stage two of this exercise that Naruto had her doing. She picked up a ball, and began adding chakra to it…only for nothing to happen before her hand started hurting very badly, just as Naruto said it would. She went ahead and made five shadow clones once again, each of them picking up a rubber ball and trying to force chakra into it. Thus far…no visible progress had been made on this stage…and she would frequently have to stop due to her hands involuntarily twitching at the pain caused by the expanding tenketsu points in her hands. But she kept at it, and would continue to keep at it with a vengeance, bent on mastering this training._

* * *

><p>Kurenai decided to ask the question that had been on her mind since Naruto finished his report to Tsunade concerning her training.<p>

"Naruto?"

"Hmm?" he replied, indicating that she had his attention.

"Why didn't you tell the Hokage about the chakra form manipulation exercises you're having me do?" she asked with sincere curiosity.

Naruto smiled knowingly as he answered her, "Two reasons: One – the reason I gave her. Two…" he trailed off, a bemused, yet knowing smile creeping across his face, "You'll know once we begin working on stage three".

Wanting to know more, but knowing that Naruto had said all he would say on the matter, she simply accepted his answer, content that she would know the other reason soon enough.

As they continued walking through the streets, they both began to notice people looking towards them and beginning to whisper. Naruto didn't seem to mind, but Kurenai became a bit unnerved at this. She started casting some of her own glances around the area, trying to discern what people were saying and what they might be thinking. Her head was whirring with questions, _'Do they think that I'm taking advantage of him? Do they think I'm some kind of cradle-robbing gold-digger? I've worked so hard to earn the respect that's my due as a top kunoichi; what's going to happen as rumors start fl__ying?'_

Naruto, noticing Kurenai's distress, even though she hid it quite well outwardly, made an effort to take her attention off of the whispering gossipmongers, "Hey, are you OK?"

Kurenai simply looked up at him, her eyes saying it all: she was nervous right now. Looking around, Naruto could guess as to what she was nervous about. He nodded to her in understanding, and as he started to make some very pointed stares around the area, people stopped whispering and continued about their business. Kurenai let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding as Naruto continued to lead them on their way.

Out of nowhere, they heard the youthful baritone of a young man who was very familiar to the two of them, "Hey Naruto!"

Both Naruto and Kurenai turned to see one Konohamaru Sarutobi, now seventeen years old, standing just two inches shorter than Naruto. He walked towards them with a broad grin on his face as he greeted them both.

He turned to Naruto with a look of slight consternation, "So where've you been, Boss? I haven't really seen you around much, lately!"

"Yeah, sorry about that, Konohamaru," Naruto responded as he grinned sheepishly while scratching the back of his head, "but Kurenai and I have actually been working very hard for the past few weeks on a couple of projects."

Konohamaru turned his gaze to Kurenai, who smiled and nodded, confirming what Naruto had said. He raised a curious eyebrow at this, but decided to shrug it off, "OK, if you say so. Well, I guess I'll see you later; I'm actually on my way to get Hanabi and take her into town," and with that he began to walk away.

Naruto stopped him real quick, "Hey Konohamaru! Tell you what: we're heading that way to invite Neji and Tenten to lunch with us at Akimichi BBQ. You two want to join us? It'll give us a chance to catch up."

Konohamaru smiled at the offer, "Sounds like fun! I'll let Hanabi know when I get there."

"OK. Oh, and while you're there, do you think you can pass it on to Neji and Tenten for us? We'll go ahead and head down to the restaurant so we can get a table; there's usually a wait at lunchtime."

"Sure," Konohamaru replied, "I'll see you guys in a bit!" and with that, he ran towards the Hyuuga Compound.

Naruto and Kurenai changed direction and headed towards the Akimichi BBQ Pit, Kurenai beginning to wonder what other surprises the day might hold for them. The moment she thought this, both she and Naruto caught a certain silver-haired jounin with his headband over his left eye and his nose in one of his older copies of Make-Out Paradise. The moment he saw them, his eye widened in slight surprise and curiosity, before he eye-smiled and he waved at both of them, only Naruto waving back, and Kurenai looking nervous again.

Kakashi commented in a curious tone, "Well, you two certainly make an interesting couple, don't you?"

Kurenai began to sputter while she blushed and looked in any direction except towards Kakashi. Naruto just tried to laugh the comment off sheepishly while responding, "Yeah, I guess I can see why you'd think that; we've actually been working together on a couple of projects for the past few weeks, and we've just given our first status report to Grandma Tsunade."

Kakashi's visible eye began to glint with mischief, "Working together…on a couple of projects…right, right…" he drew each word out slowly in his cool drawl, lacing them with obvious sarcasm, knowing somehow that one of them would take the bait.

And one of them did; Kurenai quickly exclaimed, "Kakashi, there's nothing like that going on!"

"Nothing like what, exactly?" he asked with another eye-smile, baiting her even further.

"Like…like…" she sputtered, Naruto watching on in dismay, thinking, _'Kurenai, quit while you're ahead…'_

Kurenai didn't quit, but found a way to voice her response, "Like anything you'd read about in that perverted book you have in your hands!"

Naruto face-palmed, while Kakashi's eye-smile grew even more pronounced, if that was possible, as he responded, cool as ever, "I never said there was, now did I?"

He began to freeze as he felt Kurenai's killing intent aimed in his direction. He began to stutter himself as he tried to worm his way out of this potentially life-threatening situation, "Really…I n-never said anything like th-that was g-going on, Kurenai…now d-did I, Naruto?"

Naruto sighed and shook his head sadly, "Kakashi-sensei, I'm afraid you've dug your own hole here."

Kakashi immediately began to sweat, and in a sudden flash of inspiration brought on by his fight-or-flight response, he immediately turned his head to a sound that both Naruto and Kurenai knew did not exist, "WHAT WAS THAT, GUY? ANOTHER YOUTHFUL CHALLENGE? I'M ON MY WAY!"

With this, he turned to the pair that he had just finished teasing, raised two of his fingers in a friendly salute and said, "Well, so long, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," finishing with a perverted giggle before immediately vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

Kurenai just stood there fuming at Kakashi's teasing. Naruto just put a comforting hand on her shoulder and said in a resigned tone that held no surprise in it at all, "Just let it go…trust me," while inwardly, he thought, _'I don't have the heart to tell her she walked right into that one.'_

After a few moments, Kurenai calmed down, and they continued on their way to Akimichi BBQ. As they got there and Naruto put his name on the waiting list for a party of six, Kurenai received another surprise that she wasn't sure she'd welcome at that moment. Ino and Chouji saw the pair and overheard Naruto placing his name on the waiting list. Chouji, knowing that a party of six might take a while to be seated, walked up to them, Ino hot on his heels.

Chouji greeted them cheerfully, "Hey guys! What's going on?"

Naruto looked up, a wide grin quickly spreading from ear to ear, "Chouji! What's happening, man? And Ino! It's been a while!"

"Yes, Naruto, it has been a while; a little too long if you ask me," Ino chided him, the smile never leaving her face. Ino looked over to Kurenai, raising an eyebrow in curiosity at what she was doing with Naruto. She then remembered a few weeks ago when she saw Kurenai after she had left Asuma's grave, and that faraway smile…

Ino's eyes went wide at the realization, _'Is Naruto the guy that she was smiling about that day?'_ she thought to herself, as though she'd just struck gold after months of digging and getting nothing but rocks! Kurenai's subsequent glare told Ino all she needed to know: One – she was likely spot on in her suspicions. Two – she'd best keep them to herself if she knew what was good for her. While Ino was a major gossip hound, she wasn't stupid; there were some things that just weren't worth sharing…not because they weren't really valuable (this was GOLD in Ino's mind), but because the fear of possible repercussions that might follow far outweighed the potential value…and Kurenai looked like she meant business.

Ino simply pursed her lips together, unable to help a small smile, putting her thumb and forefinger together and drawing them across her lips in a "my lips are sealed" gesture. Kurenai, softening her glare somewhat, simply nodded at the girl, who nodded back.

Chouji was talking to Naruto, "Hey Naruto, if you're putting your name on the list for a party of six, you'll be waiting a while. Ino and I can take you to the private room in the back where we're going to be eating; it'll fit at least twelve, we can get you seated right away and just have the others sent back when they get here, if you don't mind joining us."

Realizing the convenience of this, Naruto agreed, "OK, why not? Kurenai?"

Kurenai smiled and shrugged as she said, "No objections, here," before turning her gaze back to Ino, full glare coming back on to let her know that she would not tolerate any funny business on her part during the meal. Ino simply nodded and smiled again, though this time she started to sweat a little bit.

Chouji unwittingly broke all tension as he exclaimed, "OK, Everyone. Right this way!"

Chouji led the way as Ino and Kurenai followed him. Naruto left instructions with the hostess to send Neji, Tenten, Konohamaru and Hanabi back to the room upon their arrival. He then followed Chouji and the girls into the back room.

As they all sat down and ordered, they began to make small talk with each other and catch up. Ino currently worked with her father, Anko and Ibiki in the T&I Department, while Chouji was currently a Jounin Sensei for a Genin squad. Of course, they both helped to run their families' businesses as well, Ino with the flower shop and Chouji here at the restaurant. Chouji and Ino had been dating each other for the past several months, with Ino hinting at a desire for engagement, while Chouji, surprisingly enough, didn't seem uncomfortable with the idea. Naruto and Kurenai both found themselves curious as to just how close Chouji might be to proposing to Ino.

While Ino and Chouji were catching Naruto and Kurenai up, the four people that they had been waiting for were shown into the room by the hostess. Neji Hyuuga was currently in his clan's traditional robes with his forehead protector around his forehead, smiling and greeting the four who were sitting at the table. Tenten Hyuuga was at his side, her warm smile and unusually cheerful demeanor indicating that pregnancy seemed to suit her quite well. She was currently wearing Hyuuga Clan robes herself, having been married into the prestigious clan, her hair still in the same two buns that she always wore them in on each side of her head.

Behind them were Konohamaru Sarutobi, who also greeted Naruto, Kurenai, Chouji and Ino in a cheerful manner. He was pushing a wheelchair in which sat Hanabi Hyuuga, her thin and gaunt appearance indicative of her long-term confinement to the wheelchair. Naruto couldn't help but remember the day that Konohamaru had informed him of Hanabi's condition, and of Hiashi's offer to betroth his youngest daughter to the Sarutobi Clan heir...

* * *

><p><em>Naruto heard a knock on the front door of his newly-completed home. He hadn't yet built the outer walls or applied any perimeter seals to the property, so at the moment, anyone could still walk up to his front door and announce their presence the old-fashioned way. He reached the door and opened it to find Konohamaru, looking anxious and…a bit lost, as though he didn't know what to do at the moment.<em>

_Before Naruto could ask, Konohamaru started hesitantly, "Hey boss, you, err…you got a few minutes?"_

_Naruto frowned in concern at his friend before answering, "Yeah, sure. Come on in," as he gestured Konohamaru inside the house._

_Konohamaru entered, and Naruto closed the door behind him. Naruto then quickly went to fill a couple of glasses with water as he brought them to one of the sofas in his living room, which is where Konohamaru had sat himself down. Naruto set his glass of water down on the coffee table in front of the sofa and then sat at the end opposite his friend before voicing his thoughts, "What's going on, Ko? You look like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders."_

_Konohamaru sighed tiredly at this, "I feel like I am. I need to talk to you about something real important."_

"_OK. Shoot."_

"_Do you know what's happened over at the Hyuuga Clan?"_

_Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion at this._

_Konohamaru responded, "I'll take that as a no. Naruto, Hinata and Hanabi just had a clan-sanctioned duel to determine who would be the next head of the Hyuuga Clan two days ago..."_

_Naruto's eyes narrowed both in thought and surprise. He hadn't realized that the succession of leadership for the Hyuuga was so close at hand. He waited for Konohamaru to continue, which he soon did._

"_That's not the worst of it. I…" he faltered for a moment before continuing, "I don't know all the details, but I do know that…Hinata's now the official Heir again, and…when I saw Hanabi…she looked as though she'd been beaten to within an inch of her life."_

_Naruto gasped at this. Having seen Hinata's newfound brutality on the battlefield first-hand, he'd had a sinking feeling in his gut that something like this might happen sooner or later. Under a clan-sanctioned duel, particularly in the Hyuuga Clan, no attacks were barred, and because such events were considered clan business, there was nothing illegal about one of the participants maiming or even killing the other. The Hokage herself could do nothing should one of these occur._

_Naruto slowly asked, "How is Hanabi?"_

_Konohamaru closed his eyes, sighing tiredly and sadly, hanging his head and shaking it in resigned anguish, "She's been unconscious since. Their doctors say that they don't know when she'll wake up. They tell us that…" Konohamaru faltered again, fighting to keep his wits about him._

_Naruto encouraged his surrogate little brother, "It's OK, Ko. Take as much time as you need."_

_Konohamaru took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Once he was in enough control of himself to speak evenly again, he continued, "Hanabi's days as a shinobi are over. Hinata beat her so thoroughly that…she'll never be able to walk again without assistance because she'll never have the equilibrium to hold herself up for long. She'll never fight or mold chakra again, and she'll spend most of her time…confined to a wheelchair…" Konohamaru shed a single tear as he finished, "…for the rest of her life; there's nothing they can do for her beyond what they've already done."_

_Naruto found himself in shock, and was getting angrier by the second as Konohamaru explained what he had been told Hinata had done to her younger sister. He had known for quite a while that Hinata had finally gotten sick of the constant abuse and condescension that Hanabi and her father always sent her way. Being born with a kind, gentle and caring spirit, this treatment had simply hurt and saddened her at first, but with the onset of war, and the constant pressure that she faced on the battlefield, they had the misfortune of picking a bad night to double-team her and let them know of their "displeasure" at her "disgraceful" performance on the battlefield, this despite the fact that her team had come home alive if a little worse for wear, and having accomplished their mission, their team of four killing twenty White Zetsu clones while they were at it. Hinata had finally blown up in anger at them, saying some rather harsh words to them both, not allowing either to get a word in edge-wise before storming off to find Naruto, who she was still involved with at the time._

_Months later, after Naruto and Hinata had broken up and the war had been won by the Alliance, peace treaties, alliances and agreements were signed. The Allied Shinobi Forces disbanded, and all ninja returned to their home villages. One month after they had gotten back found Naruto and Konohamaru in the conversation they were currently having. Apparently Hinata's hatred towards her father and sister had only grown in the time since her blow-up, and this combined with the things she was doing on the battlefield only served to greatly darken her overall mentality and temperament. When they had gotten back to Konoha, Hiashi ordered a Clan-sanctioned duel between Hinata and Hanabi in order to test Hanabi's skills and hopefully shut Hinata up, as she had become quite the "disrespectful backtalker" in the last few months since her blow-up. The duel didn't go so well for Hiashi or Hanabi. Hinata not only defeated Hanabi, she broke Hanabi; she maimed Hanabi; she brutalized Hanabi._

_This was the story Hiashi had told Konohamaru just before leading the boy to his office, leaving a still-comatose Hanabi in the Hyuuga Medical Ward. On the way, they actually crossed paths with Hinata, who glanced first at Konohamaru and then at her father before her face broke into a cold smirk, her eyes hard and cruel. Hiashi only closed his eyes and hung his head, sighing. If Konohamaru didn't know any better, he would think that Hiashi was ashamed: not of Hinata but of himself. Hinata, upon seeing his reaction, turned back to Konohamaru, who gave an involuntary shiver with the uneasiness he felt at seeing this woman who had once been so kind and warm. Hinata abruptly turned in a different direction and went on her way, at which point Hiashi continued to lead Konohamaru to his office._

_Once they got there, Hiashi closed the door and made Konohamaru a proposal: in order to save Hanabi from getting the Caged Bird Seal, but more to simply get her out of the Hyuuga Clan Compound where life was bound to get much harder for her, if Konohamaru would agree, Hiashi would promise Hanabi's hand in marriage to him by contract, the terms of which were to be completely fulfilled on Hanabi's sixteenth birthday. Konohamaru was rightly unsure about the proposal at first, but the more Hiashi put stipulations into the contract that were in the young Sarutobi's favor, the more Konohamaru found it hard to resist. At the same time, though, he didn't want to enter into such an agreement lightly, so he asked for a few days at most to think it over and give Hiashi an answer._

"_And that's why I'm here, Naruto," Konohamaru summarized before finishing, "I don't know what to do with this, and I needed the advice of a man that I trust implicitly. Can you give me a little help, or at least a little perspective here? What do you think I should do?"_

_Naruto felt for his friend. After a few moments of thought, Naruto asked Konohamaru, "How well do you understand the terms of this contract?"_

_Konohamaru answered readily enough, "I'm familiar enough with general legalese to be able to read and understand the fine print. Basically, Hiashi's trying to save Hanabi from being branded with the Caged Bird Seal, and this is the best way he can think to do it. As I said, he wrote the terms of the contract very heavily in my favor…and he even familiarized me with all of the termination clauses so that I wouldn't feel like I was being roped in. I took the time to read what was there myself, and it was exactly as he said it was…"_

_Naruto hummed in thought for a few moments. He knew Konohamaru well enough to know that he had the same natural talent for politics and reading fine print that his grandfather had. Of all the things that could be said about the boy, it couldn't be denied that he had a good, solid head on his shoulders, and a strong intellect._

_Naruto decided that a little more information was needed as he asked, "How well do you know the girl?"_

_Konohamaru sighed, "Not real well, to be honest; what I __**have**__ seen, I don't like. She's as stuck up and as full of herself as Neji used to be! But still, I'd like to be __helpful if I can…Hiashi went as far as to say, 'Konohamaru, I need your help,' - and he seemed desperate – which __**really**__ isn't like him at all."_

_Naruto had to agree with that. Hiashi Hyuuga was not exactly the most humble of men, and for him to express even mild desperation, and to ask for help in such a manner, would indicate that he was sincere in his request._

_After a few moments of consideration of the matter in this light, Naruto gave his advice, "Ko, if there are ways of getting out of it easily enough, you can do that if things don't work out. If you want to help, go ahead and sign it, making sure that you read the fine print again to make sure that nothing was added that you don't want there, and then re-read it to make sure that you didn't miss anything. Her sixteenth birthday is three years out; there's time to get to know her, and who knows? She may surprise you…she may be as arrogant and egotistical as Neji used to be, but…look at how Neji is now. Who's to say that Hanabi can't change for the better as well?"_

_Konohamaru still looked unsure, but eventually came to the realization that he wasn't going to be any more sure than he was at this moment. He thanked his surrogate big brother for his advice and decided that he would follow it. He had returned to the Hyuuga Compound that very same day to sign the agreement…_

* * *

><p>Hanabi Hyuuga, also dressed in Hyuuga female clan robes much the same way Tenten was, radiated an aura of grace and nobility, even from her wheelchair. This aura, coupled with the warmth and humility that she now possessed as a result of what she had learned from her condition, and the circumstances behind how she came to be impaired, gave her a countenance that anyone would consider quite beautiful to behold. She smiled and greeted everyone in the room warmly and with much enthusiasm as Konohamaru rolled her over to the table, picked her up bridal style, and gently sat her down in the chair that he had just pulled out for her, taking the seat next to her own. Neji and Tenten took two empty seats to Hanabi's left.<p>

Naruto briefly reflected back on the courtship of Konohamaru and Hanabi. Remembering that Hanabi had been somewhat withdrawn at first, but somehow Konohamaru knew how to draw her out of her shell, it had been gratifying to watch the two of them grow closer. Konohamaru was always patient with her, yet very encouraging to her at the same time, believing in her, and always helping her to feel like she could push her limits, but it was OK if she fell, or if she wasn't necessarily up to it at a particular point in time.

It was thanks to Konohamaru that Hanabi could actually stand for twenty minutes at a time without assistance before her equilibrium would begin to sway, where when she had first woken up after her crippling beating, the very act of trying to stand caused her to experience vertigo. Hanabi had also in a sense built a life for herself outside of the Hyuuga Clan, something that her position as the likely heir, along with the overprotective nature of her father towards his youngest daughter, had prevented her from doing, or even wanting her to do. As Hanabi and Konohamaru grew closer, Konohamaru's friends became Hanabi's friends as well. They would both have dinner with Naruto, Iruka and Anko fairly regularly, either at Naruto's home or in Iruka and Anko's home. Hanabi found it rather ironic that she enjoyed her life now more as a cripple than she ever had as a Clan Heiress.

Hanabi's birthday was only a few short weeks away, upon which she and Konohamaru Sarutobi would become husband and wife. Konohamaru, of course, had asked Naruto to stand up with him, where Hanabi had asked Anko Umino to be her attendant, which she was more than happy to do. All of their friends were looking forward to the event, scheduled to take place in the Hyuuga Compound, to be performed by the Hokage herself. It would be a small, simple, intimate gathering of friends and family to celebrate the union of two who love each other, and even though it was probably for the best, it would be a little sadder with Hinata's refusal to celebrate it with them. Hinata had made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with the wedding or with Hanabi. Even with this little dampener, however, the two could not be happier with their upcoming nuptials, and the support of the family that they both treasured, both blood-relations and those who were sitting here with them.

Their waiter brought Naruto's mind back to the present as he took the orders of the four new arrivals, as well as bringing several pitchers of water and tea so that they could all begin to refresh themselves. Once all orders had been taken, the party of eight became a veritable cacophony of speech, laughter, and other outbursts that simply told all who might overhear them that they were a happy and joyful group. Food was brought and thoroughly enjoyed by all, and they just talked about the goings-on in their lives, enjoying an intimate time as friends. Kurenai, being significantly older than all of them, found herself having to try a little harder to relate to the group of people she found herself sitting and eating with. Naruto, Neji and Tenten, thankfully, had all picked up on this, and had made special efforts to help her to feel more at home and included. Within half-an-hour, Kurenai was one of the gang, at least for now.

As they had all finished lunch, Naruto remembered that Victory Day (this is what the day that the Allied Shinobi Nations had won the war had come to be called, and in Konoha at least, it was made an official holiday) was coming up within the next couple of weeks. He took a moment to make an announcement while everyone was still there, "Hey everyone, on Victory Day, I'm having a dinner party! You're all invited, don't worry about bringing anything; just come hungry, but I would like to know who'll come so I'll know how much food to have for everyone."

Neji and Tenten readily accepted the invitation, of course; they loved regular meals with Naruto and Kurenai (she was over there so much now that it was easy to forget that she didn't in fact live there). Konohamaru and Hanabi did as well, as they felt that it had been too long since they'd had dinner with Naruto. Chouji and Ino expressed enthusiasm at the invite, but they would both have to check to see if they were needed at their respective businesses that day, Chouji especially. They promised Naruto that they would get back with him.

Noting that Kurenai had not given him an answer, he turned to her with a curious eyebrow raised. She responded to the unanswered question, "Naruto, of course I'll be there. But…if you'd let me, I'd like to help you host it."

Naruto's eyebrow shot even higher even as both of his eyebrows came together in bemusement and mild confusion. Kurenai, knowing that he was silently asking why, gave him her reasons, "Naruto, I am at your home so often, I almost feel like it's mine as well, and I haven't had the chance to play hostess for a dinner party in a while. Also, and I know I've said this before, but you've already done so much for me, and I would like to give back to you in some capacity, and this is one way in which I can do that. So…may I help you host your dinner party?"

Naruto sighed resignedly and nodded; he knew he wouldn't be able to talk her out of it. Truth be told, he found the idea of having her assistance in getting everything set up and in helping people feel welcome in his home to be rather…nice; almost natural, even…_'Natural? Hmm…where'd that come from, I wonder?'_ he thought to himself, dismissing the thought as quickly as it came.

They all left the restaurant after Naruto paid the bills of those he said he would and went their separate ways. Kurenai, having no training with Naruto scheduled today…and also told not to train today on his orders, left Naruto to head home and take care of some personal business she'd set today aside to get to. Naruto, having a few more people to invite, went around town to speak to them.

* * *

><p>Naruto's first stop was the Inuzuka Compound to invite Kiba. As he knocked, a woman that Naruto was rather familiar with answered. She had the typical red fang tattoos of the Inuzuka on her face, as well as some other distinctive features: a feral mop of brown hair on her head that made her quite attractive in a primal way, though it had lightened by a few shades over the years, and a scar across the bridge of her nose, much like Iruka's, but hers started at the bridge and slanted on a slight downward tilt across the right side of her face.<p>

This was an injury she received during the war, and it was something that she regarded as a badge of honor, as did those who knew how she got it. She had saved the lives of her teammates by fighting off several enemies while battlefield medics patched them up, and in the process, one enemy too many had attacked her, swiping her across the face with a kunai. Even bleeding profusely to the point of being almost unable to see, she continued fighting on. Fortunately, reinforcements came as she began to feel faint from blood loss. When she had finally passed out, her reinforcements had arrived and she had been whisked away to safety.

Naruto smiled at Tsume Inuzuka, a woman he had great respect for. They began to just talk for a couple of minutes before Naruto informed him of the purpose for his visit.

"Sorry, Naruto. Kiba just started border patrol last week, so he's out of town for the next three," said Tsume in response to Naruto's inquiry.

"Thank you, Lady Tsume. I appreciate you letting me know, and if you want to come, you're more than welcome," said Naruto graciously.

"Thanks, pup. Who knows? I might just stop in."

"Absolutely. I think Kurenai would be more than happy to see you, there."

Tsume, knowing of Kurenai's apprenticeship and training under Naruto, gave a wry smile at this, causing Naruto to laugh somewhat nervously at her implication as she responded in a rather suggestive manner, "Kurenai, huh? Well, then, I'll be sure to be there; with the two of you, it could promise to be an entertaining evening…"

Naruto gave another nervous laugh before taking his leave of Tsume and her subtle teasing.

* * *

><p>His next stop was the Nara Compound to see his newlywed friends Shikamaru and Temari Nara. Naruto had been saddened to miss Shikamaru and Temari's wedding, as he had been on border patrol at the time, so he couldn't make it back…such was the life of a shinobi. This would be the first time that Naruto will have seen either one of them since they got back from their honeymoon a month ago. As he entered the grounds, he saw Shikamaru there cloud-gazing. He greeted his friend is a casual manner, Shikamaru returning the greeting in just as casual a manner. After taking some time to catch up themselves, with Shikamaru showing honest surprise at Naruto's telling of Kurenai's training and apprenticeship. Naruto extended his invitation to Shikamaru.<p>

"Well, free food's never a drag, and even if it was, Temari would pull me along anyway," said Shikamaru lazily, his usual friendly smirk in place.

"Of course she would, Shika! Say, where is Temari anyway?"

"She's in town shopping with my mom, so I get a little peace and quiet for a while. It'll be a drag here again, soon enough."

Naruto responded rather bemusedly, "O…K, then. So…I'll see you guys in two weeks. It's good to see that married life agrees with you, my friend. I've got a couple more rounds to make, so I'll see you around," said Naruto, who was seeing his friend for the first time since Shikamaru got back from his honeymoon a month ago.

"Sure thing, Naruto. See ya."

* * *

><p>Naruto knew that Tsunade wouldn't be able to attend, as she would be hosting the public party for Victory Day, making speeches, greeting people and such. Shizune, likewise would be attending Tsunade as always. Kakashi wouldn't show even if invited; he just wasn't one for socializing outside the professional realm. Yamato…back in ANBU, so he'd be patrolling the village and keeping the peace. Guy would spend his day either in seclusion or at the Memorial Stone, remembering the life and mourning the death of his most-beloved student, Rock Lee. Teuchi and Ayame would be keeping the stand open late that night, as Victory Day would be one of their busiest days of the year.<p>

Knowing all of this, Naruto only had one more stop to make: Iruka and Anko's place. Reaching their apartment, he knocked on the door, which was answered by Anko, who smiled wide upon seeing him.

"Hey, Naruto! How are ya?"

Naruto smiled back, "I'm great, Anko. How are you?"

"Doing great myself," she replied jovially before stepping back, "Come on in, little bro!"

Naruto accepted the invitation and stepped into her home. Anko led him to her couch as Iruka entered the living room from the kitchen with a tray of drinks and glasses.

"Hi Naruto!" he exclaimed just as jovially as Anko had before pouring from pitchers into three ice-filled glasses, handing one to Naruto and another to his wife. Iruka and Anko then sat on the loveseat that was adjacent to the couch that Naruto was on.

Iruka started, "It's great to see you. What brings you by?"

Naruto answered, "Well, I'm having a dinner party for Victory Day this year. I'd like you two to come."

Before Iruka could accept, Anko broke in slyly and playfully, "Oh…you would, huh?" she raised a suggestive eyebrow as she continued, "And is Kurenai going to be there?"

Naruto simply rolled his eyes at her antics, used to her teasing of him over this topic by now, "Yes, she'll be there. She actually asked me if she could help me host it, if you must know."

Anko's expression became even more teasing, "Is that so? Wow…only a month in and she already thinks of the place as home!"

Iruka couldn't help but chuckle at this. Naruto simply rolled his eyes again, but this time a faint flush adorned his cheeks. Naruto cursed Anko in his mind for knowing exactly what buttons to push with him.

Iruka broke back in, sparing Naruto from further teasing, "Thanks for the invite, Naruto. We'll be there."

Naruto nodded and once again found himself quickly taking leave to avoid a woman's teasing. All invitations handed out, Naruto headed back to his home to tend to some of his own business, or in this particular case, businesses.

When he arrived at his property, he noticed that there was a scroll on the front lawn. Seeing where it laid, and knowing nobody could get into his property unless he specifically permitted them to, or that only scrolls with specific identifying seals on them could penetrate his detection perimeter without being incinerated, he could only assume it had been dropped by a messenger hawk from an individual of no small importance to him. As he walked closer to it, he noticed that it had the Fire Daimyo's Seal!

Seeing this, Naruto hurried into his home and went into his office, sitting at his desk and opening the scroll, reading its contents:

_'Dear Naruto,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. Shijimi sends her love and regards as well. It has been some time since we've had the pleasure of your company, and we are both finding that we miss you, and we look forward to getting a chance to see you once more, son._

_The reason I am writing to you is to ask you for a special favor.__ I am currently organizing a grand ball that is to take place __i__n three months' time, to__ celebrate__ Shijimi's 50__th__ birthday. It is going to be a rather lavish affair, and I have already reserved the conference center at the Daimyo's Palace Resort outside of Tanzaku Town. I would be honored and quite grateful if you would personally host the ball. The date of the event will be May 7__th__. Please let me know if you will be able to do this for us.__  
><em>_  
>Sincerely Yours,<em>_  
>Shin Karogate,<em>_  
>Feudal Lord, Land of Fire<em>_  
><em>_  
><em>_P__.__S. I do hope, and I know that Shijimi has even greater hope, that you will come escorting a lady on your arm.'__  
><em>_  
><em>Naruto chuckled a bit at the post script. Yet more teasing about his romantic life; he knew they meant well and wanted what was best for him. In the two years that he could call the Fire Daimyo and his wife friends, the had quickly become more like parents to him, or at least like a close aunt and uncle. He pulled out a scroll, grabbed a pen, and began to write his acceptance of Lord Shin's request. As he finished his reply, he sealed the scroll and headed to the Hokage Tower in order to commission a messenger hawk to deliver the scroll to the Daimyo in the Capital.

* * *

><p><strong>Kurenai's stats as they stand at the end of this chapter:<strong>

**Ninjutsu: 4/5  
>Taijutsu: 45  
>Genjutsu: 55  
>Intelligence: 45  
>Strength: 35  
>Speed: 4.55  
>Stamina: 35  
>Hand Seals: 4.55  
>Total Stats: 3240**

**Overall Skill Ranking: Mid/High A-Rank**  
><strong>Comparable to: Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>(1) These concepts are explained in the textbook that is written in my story "The Discipline of Fuinjutsu". Please refer to this story for further detail and explanation.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5 – DONE! I know, I know, not a whole lot happened this chapter, but we're building up to some really cool stuff, so please be patient! Next chapter – Dinner Party – a major event, which will bring us to Naruto performing again! Stay tuned! <strong>

**Improvements in Kurenai's stats will be a little slower-going after this, and I won't be getting into her training quite as much anymore, except when I feel that more explanations are necessary, or if Kurenai has specific responses to things in certain instances of her training.**

**And as always…give in to your temptation to click that little blue link down there…go ahead, review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto does. I do not own "Kindred Spirits", the ama****z****ing musicians of Liquid Tension Experiment do.**

**As always, thank you so much to those who have reviewed, offered suggestions, and just left good, detailed feedback. Special thanks to: Mugin, Meech Macko, Kur0kushi, cjcold2, Crypton89, soprano-in-waiting, Tristan76, BloodIronAngel, and Darkness in the Light.**

**Additional special thanks to lednac****ek ****and ****Voice of Mars ****for**** pointing out errors and inconsi****s****tencies in previous chapters.**

**Further thanks go to all who I might have missed who have left encouraging words for me; they are greatly appreciated, and they have been a great help to me to continue writing and delivering more material to you; please keep them coming!**

**IMPORTANT! READ THIS NOTE BEORE READING THIS CHAPTER****: Some things that you may have read in Chapter 4 before I went b****ack and fixed it will be inconsistent with some of what you'll read in this chapter. All inconsistencies in the previous chapters have been co****r****rected to the best of my knowledge and efforts!**

**And without further ado, Chapter 6!**

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><p>Naruto got an early start on getting his home ready for his guests. Wanting to make sure that everything was great, he began setting up all kinds of equipment in his kitchen. Also, per Kurenai's suggestion and coaxing, this would also be the first time where he would perform for an audience of more than one. He knew just the piece that he wanted to play as well, so in addition to making sure that his kitchen was properly equipped, he also made sure to set his studio up with enough seating for everyone that he was expecting.<p>

It was just shy of two in the afternoon when Kurenai showed up, letting herself in as Naruto had set the seals on both the front gate and the front door to recognize her chakra signature. After greeting each other in their normal fashion, Kurenai immediately began to coordinate with Naruto in getting food made. She also took charge of arranging the silverware, china, and other items that Naruto would need to serve the feast that they were creating.

Naruto reflected on the past seven weeks or so that he and Kurenai had started their…whatever it was: training/apprenticeship/partnership/friendship? Their relationship was all of these things, and it was a relationship that Naruto had grown to treasure…more than any other relationship he had ever had. In addition, the more honest Naruto was with himself, the more he realized that he wished it was something deeper still, but he wasn't sure if Kurenai would welcome that particular discussion. Afraid of either making her uncomfortable or hurting her feelings somehow, he thought it best to leave it to her to bring that topic up…at least for the time being. Little did he know, however, that Kurenai was having thoughts along a similar vein.

Kurenai enjoyed working with Naruto in his kitchen. It was a chance for both of them to just be friends, without being partners in a project, or trainer/trainee or master/apprentice. It occurred to Kurenai as she thought this that Naruto, in the last several weeks, had actually become her **best** friend, and she was almost certain that Naruto had similar sentiments towards her. They certainly did enjoy the time they spent together, even if Kurenai did sometimes grumble at the torture that Naruto called "training", and she looked forward to every moment she could spend with him.

Naruto's presence just made her happy…and her feelings for him had only grown deeper and stronger as the weeks had gone by. The fears that she had were still there: being a kunoichi, she was still worried about her reputation as a professional and as a person in being seen with a man who was almost fifteen years her junior, even now. There were still the friendly jibes from her colleagues that, even though she knew were given in good fun, still raised certain questions: would she be seen as a cradle-robbing gold-digger by the village? Would she have to continue putting up with those whispers and glances that were becoming more and more commonplace, and even a few discrete glares that started coming her way, especially from the women in the village? Would this cause her to lose credibility as a professional and as a ninja in the eyes of not only the rest of Konoha's shinobi force, but with the village civilians as well? Even worse, would she lose credibility in the eyes of potential clientele to the village, causing her services to be devalued and placed in less demand?

As time had gone by, however, these fears of others' thoughts had begun to fade as she saw how Naruto would defend and stand up for her, making people turn away from them with just a gaze! That had not only made her feel special, but if she was honest with herself, thinking about Naruto defending her honor like that made her stomach quiver and her heart start beating faster. And even though she was having to put up with glares and whispers that were beginning to irk her to no end from a lot of other women, she had yet to see a change in the regard that her fellows had for her as a pro. The gap in age became less and less of an issue for her as well, at least with respect to how she felt about him, as a shinobi and a man. She had come to realize that one of the unaccounted benefits of Naruto's shadow clone training, both in his shinobi skills and in all the other skills he acquired, had been that it gave him a lot of life experience, essentially aging his mind to the point where she could talk to him more like an equal than she would talk to say, her former student Kiba.

The fears she had concerning Naruto's career, such as whether or not having a relationship with her would affect his chances at realizing his dream, or if he might end up losing the respect of his own fellows and the village for being involved with someone who could be seen as a cradle-robbing gold-digger, were nowhere near as strong as they once were. She had seen that even if people didn't like the fact that Naruto and Kurenai were seen together (probably more out of jealousy than anything else), they respected Naruto enough to keep their opinions to themselves, and if they didn't respect him enough, they certainly feared him enough, if his ability to stop people from whispering and pointing with a mere look was any indicator.

Her fears about forgetting Asuma had begun to fade slightly, as she realized that when she thought about him now, she smiled, remembering the good man he was, and the good times that they had together. She was even comfortable talking with Naruto about him now. She knew that, while she might still miss him from time to time, his absence no longer crippled her emotionally or kept her from enjoying her life, and she had Naruto to thank for that.

This, however, was a mixed blessing to Kurenai: while she was certainly happy not to be in a constant state of either mourning or depression, there was still that lingering question in her mind of whether she was truly ready in her mind to go where her heart was going, both in regards to moving past Asuma and towards Naruto. It was this question, and the questions that came with it, that she believed would be the hardest for her to wrestle through: if she were to get involved with Naruto, and even if they married and had children, what would she do if somehow, she lost him to a mission? What if they lost one of their own children - what would happen to them, individually and as a couple?

"Hey, Kurenai, can you get me the roasting pot, please?" asked Naruto, pulling her out of her thoughts. Kurenai brought herself back to her enjoyment of working in Naruto's kitchen as she smiled and retrieved the roasting pot that he asked for and brought it to him.

"Thank you," he responded, as he took the pot from her. She watched as he put a 12-lb marinated slab of lamb into the pot. She noticed that the huge hunk of meat had several devices sticking out of it that looked almost like thermometers used to measure the internal temperature of a slab of meat that was being cooked, but instead of temperature-reading instruments, their surfaces were covered with seals…fire chakra conversion seal arrays, if Kurenai recognized them correctly. Naruto grabbed several pre-cut containers of fresh vegatables and poured them into the pot alongside the lamb, which he then topped off with the remaining marinade that he had basted the lamb in. He opened his oven, which had been preheated to the correct temperature, and placed the pot inside. Closing the oven door, he began to clean the kitchen up.

"That slab of lamb should be done by dinnertime," he said with some pride and a hint of excitement.

"I'm guessing here…but are those seal arrays supposed to help in cooking it faster and more evenly?" asked Kurenai.

"Why yes, they are," Naruto responded with a smile, "I'll say you've come quite a ways in your fuinjutsu education."

"Thank you…" she said with a wry smile, adding playfully, "…one of these days, you'll actually let me paint a seal or two of my very own, right…Master?"

"One of these days, grasshopper…one of these days…" said Naruto just as playfully, trailing off with a wry smile of his own and leaving it at that.

The pair continued to prepare other dishes that they would be serving once everyone started to arrive, continuing to just talk about anything and everything in the comfortable manner that they had both become accustomed to with each other. As they were talking, Kurenai started to look out the kitchen window into the rear grounds. She noticed the one building that she had never been inside before: Naruto's backyard workshop.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't know why this hasn't occurred to me before now, but…you've never shown me that workshop that you have out back, there."

Naruto frowned in surprised thought at this, "Really?"

Kurenai simply shook her head in the negative.

Naruto responded, "Hmm…never realized that; I thought I had…"

Kurenai shook her head once more, "Nope; never did."

"Well, then," said Naruto, with an exaggerated gesture indicating that she should follow him, "Would you like the tour of the backyard workshop?"

Kurenai raised her hands to her mouth in just as exaggerated a fashion, gasped and said in a girly voice, "Really?"

"Really!" exclaimed Naruto with a playful goofy grin as he walked to the back sliding door in a "manly-man" fashion.

"Oh goody! I get to see the workshop!" Kurenai responded with a playful grin of her own, bouncing along after him in a "girly girl" fashion while clapping her hands together.

Naruto led her into his workshop, and Kurenai, in her surprise at what she saw, immediately dropped the girly girl act. The seals she saw in this workshop were similar in nature to the seals that adorned the walls and ceiling of the training dojo, which Kurenai was now able to recognize as space/time seal arrays. This was one area of fuinjutsu that Kurenai found to be quite fascinating: the ability to create additional space within a confined pre-existing space. The seal arrays in the workshop, however, were quite a bit more complex than the seals in the dojo were, as the space that they created was much larger. On the outside, the building was only about 400 square feet. Inside, however, the room that she was standing in had to be upwards of 10,000 square feet.

Most of the room consisted of carpentry and construction tools and equipment, much of which looked like it hadn't been used in a while: various table saws, sanders, drills, and all other kinds of machines and tools for working with wood, stone, drywall, etc. All along the walls were the various hand tools that any carpenter or construction worker would need to do a job.

Naruto allowed Kurenai to look around the workshop for a few minutes before grabbing her attention and leading her to his favorite little corner of the workshop: his forge.

"This little space right here is where I do my favorite physical work," he said with great pride as he showed her his blacksmith's furnace (also covered with seals and arrays of various types), anvil and vise, along with the many different pairs of tongs and hammers that he used to create all kinds of metal masterpieces, mostly his ninja tools, such as kunai, shuriken, and Hiraishin kunai (he liked to have a back-up seal in case he found himself in a jam and couldn't plant a seal himself), but he had also forged a few top-quality blades of his own, here. Kurenai also noticed a few leather smocks and some protective gear hanging up on one of the walls.

"And when we get you to Kenjutsu, Kurenai, I'll forge a blade for you as well," he said as he finished explaining a few of the tools, as well as some of the creations that had this little workshop as their place of origin. Naruto himself had two katanas and a ninjato that he used on missions, each of them made from top-quality steel, and even etched with a few seals of Naruto's own design for additional augmentation and strength. All three blades had been forged here.

Kurenai just looked at Naruto in awe, thinking, _'Other than genjutsu, is there anything that this amazi__ng man __**can't**__ do?'_

She couldn't help the growing blush on her face as she began to imagine Naruto working that forge without a shirt on in the heat of the furnace, covered in sweat…

'_Kurenai, reel it in or he'll notice!'_ she thought to herself quickly. Thankfully for her, Naruto had been pointing to and sharing about different features of his forge, causing her flush to go unnoticed.

As Naruto finished explaining the seals of the furnace to Kurenai (fire chakra converter arrays for heat, wind chakra conversion arrays to augment the heat, making the fire hotter for tougher jobs, and water chakra conversion arrays to cool the forge down so that the entire workshop didn't catch on fire by accident), he brought her back into the house. Noting the time, he realized that people were going to start showing up in about an hour.

Seeing as both of them were covered in various forms of "kitchen gook", Naruto told Kurenai that she could use one of the guest bathrooms to freshen up, knowing that she had brought a change of clothes with her in a sealing scroll. Knowing also that she knew where the linens and towels were, Naruto excused himself and went into the master bath to clean himself up and make himself presentable for his guests. After about twenty minutes, he came out of his room wearing a black long-sleeve button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to mid-forearm, pleated khaki slacks with a brown leather belt, tan socks and brown snakeskin shoes that matched the color of his belt. He went back downstairs to do some final cleaning up so that his house was in immaculate condition when everyone arrived.

Half an hour later, Naruto's eyes widened slightly as Kurenai made her appearance. She was wearing one of the outfits that she had bought from Aina a few weeks back when she and Naruto were at Kasumi's (the clothing store that Naruto was a partner in). She was wearing the same cream-colored blouse that Aina had been wearing that night, along with the same style of tight-cotton pants, but instead of black, Kurenai's were charcoal grey. She was wearing the same high-heel low-top black boots that Aina had been wearing, adding a good four inches to her already impressive 5'9", evening her out at about 6'1". Unlike Aina, however, Kurenai's kunoichi body filled the outfit out in ways that Aina's civilian body never would or could.

On top of this, she had made herself up slightly differently. She was wearing a light rouge on her lips, just enough mascara to accentuate her eyelashes, and an eyeshadow that was a light brown instead of the normal blue, and blended in with her natural skin tone, giving her face a much more natural-looking beauty. Her hair was still in the same wild, seemingly unkempt style that it was normally in, but a few locks were running in front of her shoulders as well as flowing down her back. Upon seeing her, Naruto couldn't help but blush.

Kurenai, seeing that Naruto was just standing there gawking, decided to tease him a little, turning her head just a little to the left while keeping her gaze pointed at him, smiling flirtatiously and asking in a sly tone, "So I guess that means you approve, huh, Naruto?"

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head before chuckling sheepishly and scratching the back of his head at his embarrassment at staring, "Err…yeah…sorry, didn't mean to stare."

"It's quite alright," said Kurenai, still in a bemused tone, "It's actually rather flattering that I can attract a man your age…"

Naruto muttered under his breath, "Oh, Kurenai, you have no idea…"

Kurenai, unable to make out what he said, asked, "What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," he responded rather quickly before the perimeter seal alert system announced the arrival of their first guest. Naruto had preprogrammed the seal arrays on the front gate to allow certain persons entrance to the grounds for the evening so that the people coming to his party could simply walk up to the front door and knock.

"Well, Kurenai, it would appear that it's time for us to play Host and Hostess."

"Yes, so it would seem. I'll take the front door and greet everyone while you get drinks ready."

"On it," Naruto replied as he dashed off into the kitchen, preparing trays for serving sake, shochu and vodka (Kurenai had supplied these), water, hot tea and raspberry lemonade.

Kurenai answered the front door, opening it to greet the first guests of the evening: Iruka and Anko.

"Hello, you two!" she greeted with a warm smile as she hugged them both.

Anko decided that it was time for a little teasing, asking with a wide yet wry grin, "Good Evening, Lady Namikaze! May we enter your lovely home?"

Kurenai's response was to glare at Anko.

Iruka decided to join in the teasing, "HEY NARUTO?" he yelled, hoping Naruto heard him.

"YEAH?" came a yell from the direction of the kitchen.

"THE LADY OF THE HOUSE IS MAKING US FEEL LESS THAN WELCOME!" he yelled back in an overly playful and facetious manner. Kurenai then directed her glare at both of them, also increasing its intensity, making them both briefly wonder if they might have gone just a bit too far.

Their fears were laid to rest as Naruto walked out of the kitchen with the sake tray, an overly grim frown on his face, and an obviously playful mock-indignant tone to his voice, "Well, that just won't do! Lady of the House!"

Kurenai's glare turned into a wide-eyed surprised gape as she turned to regard her fellow host for the evening as Naruto continued, putting the sake tray down, "You must make our guests feel welcome! I will not suffer the reputation of being a bad host, nor of my Lady being a bad hostess!" he finished, balling his hands into fists and putting them on his hips, giving Kurenai a mock-angry glare.

Kurenai sighed in resignation,_ 'I've just been played; I have to remember who I'm dealing with, here…"_ she thought, when suddenly her lips began to creep into a small, wry smirk, _'But maybe two can play this little game…'_

"My dear Lord and Master," she said, in a playful, almost seductive tone with half-lidded eyes, "It is my deepest regret to inform you that I cannot comply with such a request. You will therefore have to punish me."

Iruka and Anko both looked on in interest at this, curious as to how it would play out. Naruto, not missing a beat, responded in the same mock-angry tone, "So be it, then! I will go to my forge and light the furnace in order to prepare the **hot irons**!"

Kurenai began to sputter in shock at this. The Uminos both raised their eyebrows in amusement at this. "Ewww, kinky!" Anko exclaimed in the spirit of exaggeration that the four of them had taken on, causing Kurenai's sputters to become even more pronounced.

Iruka decided to join in with his wife, but directed his jab at Naruto, "Now remember, Naruto, careful how hot you make the irons: you want to cause just enough pain to bring an arousing reaction…", this brought Kurenai's sputters to a stop, and she turned to Anko and Iruka with a low growl.

Naruto wisely decided that enough was enough and interrupted the rapidly deteriorating atmosphere with a cough, "Right…well then…I'll just bring the rest of the drinks in and everyone can help themselves."

And with this, Naruto excused himself to the kitchen.

Kurenai turned on the husband and wife pair that were her two best friends after Naruto, and started in a low, but hissing tone, belaying her annoyance, "Just what do you two think you're doing?"

Iruka took this moment to excuse himself and help Naruto in the kitchen. Anko simply stared back at Kurenai with an overly innocent frown of confusion, "Who, me?" she asked as she pointed at herself.

Kurenai's glare came back on full-force, her voice still in the same low, hissing tone, "You said that I shouldn't move in one direction or another with this; so what are you doing?"

Anko, keeping the same innocent expression, said, "Oh…yeah…that's right, I did say that, didn't I?"

Her face immediately broke out into a sly, serpentine grin, "But I never said that Iruka and I wouldn't give either of you an occasional nudge in the right direction, now, did I?"

Kurenai sighed, holding her forehead in the fingers of her right hand for a few moments before saying, "Please, Anko…just cut it out for now."

Anko dropped the serpentine grin and adopted her usual friendly smirk before walking past Kurenai into the house, whispering to her as she passed by, "Lighten up, hon. I'll leave you be for now, but mark my words: you'll thank me for it later."

Kurenai nodded her thanks to Anko and escorted her into the house, where both of them began to take their drinks of choice from the trays that Naruto and Iruka brought into the living room. Over the next twenty minutes or so, the rest of Naruto's guests had showed up to the home, Kurenai welcoming each of them in turn and escorting them into the house; Tsume, surprisingly, had not brought Kuromaru with her, explaining that he had been in heat, and had elected to stay at the Inuzuka Compound to take care of his (not so) little problem. Tsume, along with Chouji and Ino, were both given the Grand Tour by Kurenai, which the three of them found both strange and a bit amusing. Tsume, of course, knew about Naruto taking Kurenai on as a fuinjutsu apprentice, as well as training her in the ninja arts where she was lacking in order to balance out her chakra control. Chouji and Ino, however, were in the dark about this, so when they asked Kurenai how she knew the house so well, she simply filled them in on all of what she and Naruto had been doing: the project, her apprenticeship, his additional training, all of it. She chose not to take them into the basement, as dinner time was nigh at hand.

Naruto, upon seeing that everyone had arrived, after Tsume, Chouji and Ino were brought back downstairs by Kurenai, went around and greeted everyone. Having seen the rest more recently, he spent some additional time catching up with Temari Nara. Temari still wore the same basic style of battle-dress that Naruto had long since associated with her, and even served as her casual wear…_'well, at least she didn't bring her battle fan, too,' _he thought to himself as he continued his basic visual assessment. Her sandy-blonde hair was no longer in four pigtails, but worn loose and flowing down her back, ending just below her shoulder blades. Naruto thought this look suited the former Suna kunoichi, who had retired from Suna's forces and donned the Konoha forehead protector upon her marriage to Shikamaru. In spite of her grumblings about her lazy husband, there was an air about her that indicated that she was happier than she had ever been in her life.

Shortly after Naruto had made his rounds to everyone, he brought the roast out of the oven, and also retrieved several other dishes that he had spent the day preparing and keeping warm: several rotisserie chickens, grain and vegetable dishes of all kinds, and a few seafood dishes to satisfy Kurenai's palette as well. The seafood dishes, and the looks that Naruto and Kurenai gave each other when Naruto brought them out, did not go unnoticed by the rest of their company, especially Shikamaru, who simply whispered to his wife with a smirk, "Wow, what a pain, huh?"

Temari's response, of course, was to knock her husband upside the head, effectively shutting him up about the issue for the rest of the night.

Naruto had set up the feast in a buffet style, littering the dishes all over the kitchen counters so that anyone could come and grab what they wanted to eat. Once everyone had filled their plate with what they wanted, they all sat at the now-expanded dining room table, said a quick blessing and began to happily dig in. As they ate and enjoyed light conversation at first, the topic of discussion eventually fell upon the occasion that this day was set aside in remembrance of: the Victory of the Allied Shinobi Forces against Madara Uchiha and the Akatsuki. They all started sharing war stories, most of them of the rather funny variety, such as missions completed despite idiocy on the parts of those involved, or some of the antics that they found themselves roped into while in base camp.

Before too much longer, Iruka grabbed his sake saucer, stood up, and asked for everyone's attention.

Once he saw that he had it, he began, "I know I'm not the host of this party, but I'd like to propose a toast," he paused as he looked over at Naruto before continuing, "We celebrate the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War today, but I'd like to toast the man who was directly responsible for bringing about the end of Akatsuki, and Madara Uchiha. To our greatest hero, and my best friend: Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze!"

Cries of "Hear, hear," were uttered as everyone at the table emptied the contents of their sake saucers in salute of the man whose house they were currently dining in. Naruto was mildly surprised at Iruka's use of the Namikaze name.

As Iruka sat down, Naruto stood up, sake saucer in hand, and spoke as everyone refilled their saucers, "Thank you, Iruka-sensei, and thank you everyone for honoring me in such a way. But I believe that the greatest honor should go to so many other heroes, but especially…" he paused, allowing the gravity of what he was about to say to sink in, "I'd like to honor and toast those who were close to our hearts, and who gave everything they had…even their life's blood…in order to see the war ended. I propose a toast to those who didn't make it back, and can't be here with us to celebrate today."

Naruto raised his saucer, "Jiraiya, the Pervy Sage!"

Neji, who sat to Naruto's left, stood and toasted, "Rock Lee."

Tenten stood and toasted (with lemonade), "Shino Aburame."

Shikamaru stood and looked over at Kurenai, seeming asking a question with his eyes. She smiled and nodded at him, at which he toasted, "Asuma Sarutobi."

Temari stood and toasted, "Baki-Sensei."

Anko stood and toasted, "Yugao Uzuki."

Iruka stood and toasted, "Ebisu."

Konohamaru stood and toasted, "Udon Mitokado."

Hanabi stood and toasted, "Moegi Utatane."

Ino stood and toasted, "Sai."

Chouji stood and toasted, "My father, Chouza Akimichi."

Tsume stood, smiled sadly and toasted, "My daughter, Hana Inuzuka, and her three partners, the Haimaru Brothers."

Kurenai stood, smiling sadly as well, and placed a hand on her stomach. Looking down at where she placed her hand, she toasted, "My son, Asumaru Yuhi Sarutobi."

Naruto quickly responded, "Hear, hear," to which everyone at the table responded accordingly, all emptying their saucers and glasses in unison.

As they finished the toast and subsequently, dinner, Naruto made one final announcement, "If all of you would, please follow me. I have a surprise in store for you."

At this, Naruto led them all to the teleportation seal. After they all got on it, Naruto teleported them all to the Second-level basement and into his music studio, showing them to the lounge chairs and sofas that he had set up. Each of them took a seat, and once they were all seated, Naruto created three shadow clones and went with them into the recording studio where a bass guitar, an electric guitar, a keyboard and a drum set were set up. The clones took the drums and guitars, while Naruto himself took the keyboard.

Naruto addressed his audience, "I'd like to play a piece in honor of tonight, and what tonight represents. I think you'll all enjoy this; it's called 'Kindred Spirits'."

* * *

><p><strong>("Kindred Spirits" by Liquid Tension Experiment)<strong>

Everyone looked on as the clone on the lead guitar opened up. A few seconds later, the clone on the bass guitar joined in, followed by the drummer. It wasn't until about 30 seconds in that Naruto himself joined in on the keyboard, fingers beginning to fly across it playing note after note in swift succession, causing mixed reactions and displays of surprise in this audience: Shikamaru looked on with his amazed "thoughtful frown", Temari was wide-eyed, as were most of the others, there.

Kurenai, however, looked on with a grin showing great pride, and almost appeared to have stars in her eyes! She already knew if his musical prowess, but unlike the others, she was paying attention to the facial expressions that he and his clones were making while they were playing: they were so wrapped up in what they were doing that they appeared to be within their own world. They were all feeling the music they were playing, and they were thoroughly enjoying themselves, to the degree that it didn't even appear that they had to concentrate on the instruments they were playing!

Swift keyboard strokes, followed by complex bass lines and flurries of distorted guitar strings, all in harmony with perfectly and precisely timed pounds on the drums. Kurenai drank it all in: she had never heard him play a piece of music this fast, this technical or this complex before. Looking at her, one might wonder if she just became another of Naruto's fangirls! The starry look in her eyes only seemed to become more pronounced as Naruto's performance continued. She would be thankful later on that everyone was too wrapped up in the performance themselves to notice Kurenai's posture.

As Naruto closed out the last note, Kurenai, in a very out-of-character gesture, jumped up, cheered and whooped in applause and approval at the spectacle she had just witnessed. The rest of them began to do the same, albeit a bit more slowly, all in shock in Naruto's seemingly-prodigious musical ability, none of the rest of them having known that he could just perform the feat of utter majesty to which they had all just had the privilege of bearing witness. When Naruto dispelled the clones and reentered the room where they were seated, they began to surround him, excitedly asking him all kinds of questions, such as how he learned to play like that, or what other kinds of music he liked to play. These questions were simply answered honestly and patiently.

When asked if he would perform for the village, he answered emphatically, "NO! I have enough problems with fangirls, already; I don't want to create any more…so, guys, if you don't mind, would you keep my ability to do this on the down-low?"

They all nodded reluctantly, Ino being the last, and only doing so when both Naruto and Kurenai gave her a glare that promised slow, painful and torturous death if she did not; the killing intent laced in with said glares might have helped a little…

Tsume then asked, "Well, pup, we know you can play several instruments. Can you sing as well?"

Kurenai answered before Naruto could, "Naruto has a magnificent voice, Tsume. He also uses clones as back-up singers, and their voices harmonize even more beautifully than the instruments that they all play together."

Tsume was struck with awe at this declaration, as were the rest of them; there truly was more to their friend than even they had thought. The girls all found it rather intriguing that Kurenai apparently knew him so well, as she had been the only one to show no surprise at Naruto's display of talent and skill. As Kurenai looked around and glanced at them all, she realized that they were hungry for some gossip and girl-talk. After the questions all died down, Naruto led everyone back to the teleportation seal and brought everyone back to the main level of the house.

Once they were out of the seal, Kurenai asked, "Hey Naruto, do you mind if we girls use the onsen?"

The other ladies who were present all wore various expressions of surprise on their faces, not realizing that Naruto had his own onsen.

Naruto shrugged, "Sure, go right ahead."

Kurenai then led all of the girls to the wing of the house and into her favorite private hot spring bath, while Naruto and the guys stayed in the living room, drinking sake and some of the vodka that was still left. Naruto also retrieved and set up a poker table, with some chips and several decks of cards. Both groups were glad that they had separated themselves from the other. The guys could have a little fun playing Hold 'Em, while the girls could begin their inquisition without the guys to overhear.

* * *

><p>"OK, Kurenai. You didn't spill a while back; so now you need to spill!" exclaimed Ino, not surprisingly the first to begin.<p>

Kurenai responded by looking first at Ino, then at Tsume, Tenten, Temari, Hanabi and finally Anko. As she did this, she warned, "This does not leave this room. What's said here, stays here…got it?"

After a series of nods signifying their acceptance of this condition, Kurenai began, "Ino, this all started when Naruto found me at Asuma's gravesite, and we went to lunch afterwards. When you found me walking home, it was Naruto that I was thinking about."

Ino gave a wry, satisfied smirk as her suspicions had just been verbally confirmed, while the other girls simply listened on in interest as Kurenai relayed the rest of the tale to the present time. Kurenai would smile wistfully and adopt a faraway look when talking about Naruto at certain points, none of which was lost on the other girls.

Temari asked with a smirk in an effort to try to tease her, "So when are you gonna stake your claim, huh, Kurenai?"

Kurenai, instead of sputtering or gaping as Temari was expecting, simply became a bit downcast, "I'm honestly not sure how to approach this," she began as she shook her head, "Anko gave me some great advice to just let whatever happened happen naturally, and not to force anything in one direction or another, and that's what I've been doing…but…well, there are other issues that I need to work out, still. And I can tell that Naruto has a few of his own; there are things he's not ready to talk about, yet, so -"

"Kurenai," interrupted Tsume, getting Kurenai's attention before continuing, "At what point do you think you will be ready to move on this?"

Kurenai looked at her and simply shrugged, "I don't know, Tsume. I honestly don't know. I'm doing much better with the idea now then when Anko and I first talked about it, but…as I said, it's not just me, it's him, too. I don't want to risk destroying a relationship before it's even had a chance to start."

Tenten voiced her thoughts, "Kurenai, we've all seen the way you look at him. Even now, we hear the way you talk about him. So, I will directly ask you on behalf of all of our mutual trusted friends, here: how do you feel about Naruto? And please be honest with us…"

Kurenai's forlorn look faded, turning into a wistful smile once more as she thought about the man who had so captured her thoughts and heart, "He's the most magnificent man I've ever known; it's like he's the man of my dreams and my best friend all rolled into one. I…" her smile became wider as she appeared to glow with joy and continued, "…I don't even know when I started to make this shift, but…oh, I'll just say it: I'm in love with him!"

All of the girls simply smiled knowingly, none of them surprised by this admission. Hanabi spoke up this time, "Now, was that so hard?"

Kurenai shook her head in the negative, her smile softening some, but still there, "No, it wasn't. It was actually easier than I thought it would be."

Anko piped in, "So when are you gonna make your move on your mate-to-be, hmm?"

Kurenai's face became serious at this point. The other girls adopted similar expressions of seriousness, seeing that Kurenai had something important to say.

Kurenai began, "Remember what I was saying before about both of us having issues?"

Everyone nodded and Kurenai continued, "The issues I'm having to work through are…well, they're being worked through the more I get to know him. At first, I thought the difference in our ages might be a concern, but the more I talk to him, his mentality is such that I forget just how young he is! Our talks are…well…they're just so refreshing and stimulating to me! There are a couple more things as well: I was worried about how this might affect our own reputations…"

At this, Ino raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Ermm…Kurenai, why is that a concern for you?"

"My main concern, Ino, is that it might affect how either or both of us might be regarded from a professional standpoint. I don't think Naruto has to worry about it so much, but I've worked very long and very hard to build my credibility as a top kunoichi. If people see me as some kind of cradle-robbing gold digger, it might affect whether clients would want my services; it could reflect badly on the village to have someone with that kind of reputation in their ranks…and I don't have the abilities of someone like Kakashi or Tsunade to offset that kind of a situation."

"That might not be as much of a concern as you think, Kurenai," replied Anko, hoping to reassure her friend and get her moving more in the direction she wanted her to move in, "Naruto's training you, now. You may not be at Kakashi's or Tsunade's level now…but I don't think it'll be too long before you are. I mean, even looking at you, we can tell that you've been training. On top of that, you're the only apprentice of the only true living sealmaster in the Elemental Nations right now. Trust me…I don't think you're going to have a problem from a professional standpoint."

Kurenai couldn't help but sigh and smile at this, "Yeah, I guess you're right, Anko," Kurenai paused for a moment, her face becoming somewhat forlorn, but also showing a bit of concern, "But…there's also another issue, and this is more about Naruto than me. I probably know Naruto better than any of you right now, and I know for a fact that I've seen sides of him that none of you ever have. I can see it in his eyes: something bad happened to him when he was involved with Hinata," Hanabi's eyes widened at this as Kurenai continued, "…and it's something he's not ready to talk about yet. I'm not going to pressure him into discussing it, but until he's comfortable enough with me to go there, I don't think he can freely give himself to a relationship with anyone."

Nobody knew what to say to this. Hanabi, of course, knew exactly what it was that had happened between Naruto and Hinata, but didn't feel that it was her place to say anything. She kept silent, but made a mental note to talk to Naruto before the night was over.

Temari, in an effort to cheer up the atmosphere, spoke up in a reassuring tone, "Don't you worry, Kurenai. Knowing Naruto, if there's anyone he will talk about it with, it's you. He'll come around when he's ready."

All of the other girls nodded in agreement with this, and this seemed to reassure the ruby-eyed jounin that her patience would be rewarded, and that she didn't have as much to fear as she thought she did. Eventually, after deciding that they'd had enough soak-time, the ladies got out of the water, got dressed and went back out to join the men.

* * *

><p>Hold 'Em was always a great way for the guys to relax with each other. Naruto, of course, with his own freakish luck, made the game a little less fun for the others as first, as he just seemed to keep winning round after round after round. After a while, he decided to bow out of the game, returning all of the guys money to them so that they could enjoy a game that they now had a better chance of winning with Naruto's absence from it.<p>

Naruto was just bringing snacks and drinks while watching the current round, at which the river had just been revealed. It was between Neji and Chouji right now as to who'd take the pot. Everyone else had already folded. Both went all-in. Neji, having bet first, revealed pocket aces, giving in a full house: Aces over Sevens. Thinking he had won the pot, he started to reach for the chips until Chouji stayed his hand, revealing pocket sevens, giving him four sevens, and beating Neji's full house. Neji face faulted, knowing that only Naruto usually had such freakishly good luck. Chouji happily took his chips, and they guys prepared to place blinds to start another hand.

As they were doing this, Neji, seemingly out of the blue, asked with a smirk, "So, Naruto, when are you going to pop the question?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, not sure he was comfortable with where this was going, "What do you mean, Neji?"

"I mean, when are you going to ask Kurenai Yuhi to marry you?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to face-fault, "Say, what? I'm not even dating her!"

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Naruto," said Shikamaru, deciding to add his two ryo to the conversation.

Neji's face lost the smirk, "Naruto," he began, "I think I'm speaking for everyone here when I say that you deserve a little happiness, and it's obvious to us that you love her."

Naruto looked around the table to see all of the guys smirking at him while nodding.

Iruka piped in, "Yeah, Naruto, you don't do a very good job of hiding it."

Naruto began to sputter a bit before he simply sighed in resignation, nodding himself to show that he could see that they knew.

Naruto began to voice his opinion, "You're right, guys. The truth is that I'm crazy about her; more than I ever was with Sakura or even Hinata. I guess…considering my luck with the opposite sex, I'm a little gun-shy about the issue, you know?"

"I know what's holding you back, Naruto," Neji began, and he continued right as Naruto was about to speak, "But you need to let that go and move on. Kurenai is not Hinata, and she'd never in a million years do what Hinata did to you."

The guys found themselves curious as to what Neji was referring. What had Hinata done to Naruto? They knew that he and Hinata had been together briefly during the war, and that they broke up, but none of them knew the details behind the break-up, and Naruto was notoriously tight-lipped about it.

Naruto closed his eyes and sighed, "I'll think on it. Let's just drop it for now, OK?"

"Fair enough," responded Neji, as the rest of the guys nodded in agreement.

It was at this point where the girls rejoined them. They greeted the men in the room jovially and rejoined the party, all of them intermingling once again. Wanting to talk to Naruto, Hanabi asked Konohamaru to flag Naruto down and bring him to her.

When Naruto came over to Hanabi, she asked him to wheel her out onto the back patio so that she could have a private word with him.

* * *

><p>Once they were outside with the back sliding glass door closed, Hanabi, deciding to take the direct approach, asked, "Naruto, how do you feel about Kurenai?"<p>

Surprised, and a little unnerved, by this unexpected question from Hanabi of all people, Naruto raised a confused eyebrow and asked in a tone belying a small amount of suspicion, "Err… why do you ask?" while thinking, _'Why did Hanabi of all people have to ask me this?' _in knowing that he couldn't really change the subject or play it off with her; she just had a way of penetrating his defenses and getting to the heart of the matter…much like a real little sister.

Hanabi just smiled disarmingly and responded, "Just humor me."

Naruto sighed and began to think about how best to put his feelings for the woman to Hanabi. Coming to the conclusion that he should give her the same courtesy of directness that she gave him, he asked, "Just between you and me?"

Hanabi nodded, knowing that this could be a touchy subject for the tall blond.

Naruto answered her question, "Well…I love her. I love everything about her: the sound of her voice, the way her hair seems wild yet well-kept at the same time, her gorgeous eyes; I love talking to her about anything and everything; I love her warm smile when she gives a real one; She…just has a way of calming me when she's near…"

Hanabi chose to interrupt at this point, seeing that Naruto could probably go on and on listing the things that he loved about Kurenai, "Naruto, is your past with Hinata holding you back from pursuing her?"

Naruto closed his eyes, sighed and nodded slowly.

Hanabi adopted a sad, concerned frown, "Why?"

Naruto took a few seconds before attempting to answer, "I…well…I don't know, honestly…"

After a few seconds of watching Naruto try and fail to collect his thoughts, Hanabi chose to probe a little and help him to direct them, "Big brother, have you ever talked about this with anyone? I mean, at length?"

Naruto shook his head in the negative before adding, "It's not exactly something I want to relive, you know?"

Hanabi smiled sadly at him, "I know…believe me, I know. But I know you pretty well…and I know that talking about it will help you. Talking about what Hinata did to me was the last thing I wanted to do, and I kept it in for months; Ko and I were still getting to know each other, and…well, the closer we got, the more I began to see that my keeping that in was affecting our relationship, because it affected all my thoughts and feelings at the time. Ko…somehow managed to gently coax it out of me, and when I talked to him…and cried on him…" her smile widened as she fondly remembered the event she was retelling, "…and cried on him some more…" she laughed softly at this before continuing, "…we made a breakthrough in our relationship, and now look at us!"

Naruto smiled, happy for the young woman before him that he had come to love as a little sister.

Hanabi went on, "Naruto, my point is that even though talking about it is the last thing you want to do, it's probably the best thing for you to do. Getting it out was the best decision I ever made, and I'm much freer as a result. And to let you know as well, Kurenai can see that you're shackled; she doesn't know by what, but she knows that you're weighed down, and she's sure that it's about you and Hinata."

Naruto simply listened, knowing that she was probably right, but still finding himself rather uncomfortable with the idea of opening up about his own private grief. The fact that Kurenai knew that something of this nature was holding him down came as a bit of a surpise to him, but knowing Kurenai as well as he did now, he came to realize that he shouldn't be as surprised as he was: she had a sharp mind and excellent observation skills, after all.

Hanabi ended with a few words of encouragement, "When you're ready, talk to Kurenai about it, Naruto. I think it will do wonders for both of you…OK?"

Naruto simply smiled and nodded, knowing that Hanabi did have his best interests at heart. He had to admit that it was rather humbling to him, receiving this advice from a fifteen-year-old girl, but he knew that she was right.

Hanabi smiled right back, made the effort to stand up and extended her arms towards him, "Now, come here, you."

Naruto laughed softly and leaned in, pulling her into a warm, firm embrace, kissing the top of her head as she returned it just as firmly.

"Thank you," he said, "I needed that. And you're right: it is about time that I talked about it with someone," he finished with a sincere smile.

After helping the girl back into her wheelchair, he rolled her back into the house, both Kurenai and Konohamaru noticing that they were coming back in.

* * *

><p>Konohamaru came to Hanabi while Kurenai approached Naruto, each pulling the other aside and asking if everything was OK. Hanabi simply assured Konohamaru that everything was fine, and that she just needed to give Naruto some sisterly advice. Naruto, on the other hand, look to be a little more at peace with himself in a way that Kurenai had never before seen, intrigued just as to what it might have been that he and Hanabi talked about, but choosing not to pry at the moment, knowing that she and Naruto could talk about it later after everyone left.<p>

As the party began to wind down and everyone started to take their leave, Naruto and Kurenai began to clean up the mess and put everything away. Naruto was glad that Kurenai stuck around; he was hoping to get the chance to have the talk with her that Hanabi had urged him to begin. After they had finished cleaning up, Naruto prepared some tea for them and brought it into the living room, sitting next to Kurenai on the loveseat that she chose for herself.

Kurenai began with a smile, "Well, I'd say that went quite well, wouldn't you?"

Naruto smiled and nodded, looking off into space, "Yeah…tonight was a lot of fun."

Kurenai chose this time to broach the question prompted by her earlier observation of his peaceful state, "So, what did you and Hanabi talk about? When you both came back in, you seemed…less burdened, somehow…"

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Wow…you really do know me well if you were able pick that up…"

He trailed off for a few moments before continuing, his smile beginning to fade as he began to broach a heavy subject for him, "She just suggested that it was time I talked about certain things with you."

Kurenai raised an eyebrow and responded with a guarded tone, "Did she, now?"

Naruto continued, "Yeah...she mentioned that you could see that…well…there's something that's been weighing on me that I haven't been willing or able to share with you yet."

Kurenai relaxed as she nodded in understanding, her fears that Hanabi had broken her confidence concerning what was said in the baths safely allayed.

Naruto began what would be a long and hard conversation for him, "Well…how much do you know about my relationship with Hinata?"

Kurenai shook her head as she responded, "Not much. Any time I tried to get Hinata to talk about it after your break-up, she got angry and told me she didn't want to talk about it. I eventually gave up asking," she finished with resigned sadness.

Naruto took a few breaths as he recalled the break-up with the Hyuuga Heiress. In a strained, yet controlled voice, he asked her, "Did you know that she became pregnant with our child?"

Kurenai responded with a gasp and a look of utter shock! She'd had no idea that Hinata had ever been pregnant. As she pulled herself together, shaking her head and blinking her eyes in an effort to wrap her mind around this revelation, she found herself feeling apprehensive as she saw an intense sadness in Naruto's face, his eyes filled with a deep pain that she'd never seen in them, even when the anguish of his isolation as Konoha's pariah was plainly obvious. She gently took his hand in one of hers, and instinctively brought her other hand to his face, cupping his cheek in a comforting yet intimate way, looking him dead in the eye.

"What happened?" she asked slowly, a look of fear and concern on her face.

Naruto's eyes began to well up. The irony of the situation hit Kurenai with all the subtlety of a thousand paper bombs going off at once as she remembered their reversed positions at Asuma's gravesite. Kurenai's own eyes began to well up at his pain, as she waited patiently for him to answer.

Unable to hold back the tears anymore, Naruto began to squeeze his eyes shut, sobbing in grief and anguish that he had been keeping to himself since the war. He replied, "She…she aborted it," and at this admission the tears and sobs just flowed, unhindered and free.

"No," cried Kurenai softly, knowing exactly how it felt to be robbed of a child due to the malicious and callous actions of another. She had just discovered that she and Naruto knew each other to a depth that she couldn't even begin to imagine until now! She herself began to cry as well as she pulled Naruto into a tight hug, leaning back as she pulled his head into her chest and resting her chin against the top of his head.

Naruto accepted her embrace and wrapped his arms around her as well, sobbing loudly as he continued, "We…we never even found out if it was a boy or a girl! I was going to be a father…I was so happy knowing that…and she just…destroyed it…just to spite her family!" he continued to sob, his body shaking as he poured his grief out.

"Nooo!" cried Kurenai, softly still but with much more force, feeling all of Naruto's pain with him, shedding tears with him, and for him. She stroked her fingers through his hair and kissed the crown of his head.

Naruto had more to tell, "She…she didn't even ask me…she didn't even consider how I'd feel," he let out a few more loud sobs before continuing, "When she told me…it was as though it just…didn't matter to her that she'd…killed her own baby!"

Kurenai's grief became laced with intense anger. She gritted her own teeth as she continued crying with Naruto, letting him pour everything out.

"She tried to stop me from breaking up with her. She said to me, 'Don't break up with me over something like this'!" he let out a few more sobs and continued yet again, "As though this was a…minor argument over nothing. I…"

"It's OK!" Kurenai interrupted through her own tears and sobs, firmly but with great compassion. Leaning back and bringing his face up so that she could meet his gaze, she spoke again, "You don't have to say any more. I know…I know it all: I know how you feel; I know how it hurts," the tone of her voice almost becoming desperate as she tried to will the empathy and understanding that she felt into Naruto's mind and heart, "and I know that you would have made the best daddy in the whole wide world!"

Naruto's tear-filled, blood-shot eyes looked at Kurenai, filled with a mixture of…wonder, hope, gratitude? It was all of those things, yet there was something more, something deeper, something…of his own soul. It wasn't lust. Kurenai couldn't even call it love…that just didn't seem to do it justice. She somehow knew that she had glimpsed something of him that nobody else ever had…and more profoundly, that nobody else ever would. Yet more amazing, still, was that she could see that he had somehow seen something similar in her as well; that…phenomenon that was unidentifiable, yet felt closer and more familiar than anything else in the world.

Kurenai spoke before thinking, "If it had been me…I would have borne your child, gladly."

Naruto's eyes went wide at this. Had she just admitted that she would have been glad to have children by him?

She simply nodded, "It's true. Naruto, I'm not sure this is…the best time or situation in which to say this…but…I've fallen so deeply in love with you…" Naruto's eyes went wider still as Kurenai made her tearful confession, "…these past few weeks that I almost haven't known what to do with myself."

She began to smile as she continued, Naruto just looking at her and listening in stunned silence, "I've been so scared about this. A few weeks ago, I was a numb and brokenhearted woman, and then, out of nowhere, you come along! And then…before I know it, we're spending most of every single day together, and…" she began to both cry and laugh at the same time, "I…I'm finding myself measuring time by thinking about when I'm going to see you again!"

Naruto had begun to smile widely the more she told him as he chose to respond, "Kurenai, I love you, as well. I love you…more than I've ever loved…well…ANYONE!" Kurenai's eyes and smile both became wider at this admission.

Naruto continued, "Do you remember when I told you how when I was feeling lonely, there was a part of it that I just couldn't identify?"

Kurenai nodded quickly as Naruto continued, "Well…I've only just come to realize this recently, but…when I'm with you…for the first time, ever…I don't feel lonely at all, anymore."

Kurenai's grin grew even wider at this as she reacted in a very impulsive way: she slammed her lips into his, wrapping her arms around his neck and shedding tears of joy as she was doing this. When she pulled away, she saw that he had a dazed look on his face. She couldn't help but giggle at him.

Naruto began to sputter, trying to form a coherent thought. This was **not** how he imagined this conversation going, though he certainly wasn't complaining about it. After all, here he was, with the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on in his opinion, confessing her love to him.

Kurenai's smile began to morph into a look of worry. Naruto noticed this and asked, "What's wrong?"

Kurenai began to look downward, "I…Naruto, I'm still scared. This is moving so fast that…I…I don't really know how to handle it. Naruto, I've worked so hard to build my reputation and credibility as a professional kunoichi who can stand on my own merits and skills. I'm worried…that this will cause me to lose the respect that I've worked so hard to build! I'm worried that people will see me with you, and knowing how far apart we are in age, they'll think that I'm a shallow cradle-robber and gold-digger…"

"Hey…" said Naruto firmly yet gently, bringing his hands up to hold her shoulders in a comforting way, "As far as I'm concerned, they can think what they want; I don't care what they think of you or me…"

"Naruto, I have to be concerned about it," Kurenai interrupted.

Naruto frowned in confusion as he allowed her to explain, "Naruto, I don't have the skills of a Tsunade, or a Kakashi. They are so good at what they do that they can get away with having reputations that are born from their…less-than-savory habits. With my current skill level, if I don't have a good reputation as a professional, or if personal rumors start affecting my reputation, it will mean that less potential clients will want to work with me. It could hurt my livelihood!"

Naruto frowned in thought at this; she made a very valid point. Even though they both knew how they felt about each other, they didn't know what the future held. They didn't know if they would stay together if they started a relationship with each other. Any number of things could happen between now and then.

Naruto then came up with a solution, "Well, then…we put off establishing a romantic relationship for now, and we double our efforts towards bringing your skills to the level of a Kakashi or a Tsunade so that your skills and abilities will also offset any reputational problems that may arise. Then we can establish any relationship we want. I can wait if you can…what do you say?"

Kurenai thought about this; it might be tough, knowing that their feelings for each other were now out in the open, but she'd gone for four years thinking that she'd never find anyone to love her like Asuma again…she could wait a few months to solidly establish a relationship with Naruto; if nothing else, she now had motivation to accelerate her training!

She smiled and nodded, his answer making the most sense to her right now, all factors considered, "I can do that, Naruto."

Naruto nodded and smiled before standing up and offering his hand to help her up. She accepted his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet before she let go and moved in to hug him warmly.

Naruto wrapped his own arms around the raven-haired beauty, holding her warmly and gently, "Kurenai, thank you…for helping me to get my own grief out."

Kurenai pulled back to look him in the eye, bringing a hand up to his face again, "Naruto, you've done so much for me, already. You helped me to grieve properly; it's only right that I help you do the same. So, you're welcome, and I was glad to help you…"

She then leaned up and kissed him on the lips before pulling back with a wry smile, "And…just because we can't establish a solid relationship publicly yet, don't think for a second that I'm not going to show how much I love you when it's just us."

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Naruto, with a wry smile of his own, before composing his face into a more serious expression, "but, ermm…I need to tell you that…after Hinata, I made a promise to myself."

Kurenai gave him her undivided attention, frowning in mild confusion and expectation of what he was about to say.

"You see…well, Hinata and I, as you know, were sexually intimate with each other…and the truth is that I have nothing but regrets about that, now. I made a promise to myself when I broke up with Hinata that the next woman I make love to would be my wife…and I wouldn't make love to her until our wedding night…would you be OK with that?"

Kurenai smiled wide in wonder and awe at his admission; even Asuma wouldn't have waited for that. She didn't know any man who would! Also, knowing Naruto the way she did, she knew that he wouldn't tell her this after both of them admitting their feelings to each other unless he truly desired a future like that with her.

"You mean…you'll…wait for me?" she asked, the sense of wonder at this man plainly evident in her tone.

Naruto smiled wide and nodded, "I'd wait until the end of time for you. Does this mean you'll wait for me?"

"YES!" exclaimed Kurenai, rushing into his arms, "Oh, yes I will!"

As they separated once more, Naruto spoke up, "Well, why don't I walk you home, then? After all, if we're going to do more intensive training, we're going to have to get up earlier and work a lot longer, and if we're trying to avoid rumors flying, it'd be best if you didn't stay the night, here."

Kurenai laughed warmly at this, "I suppose you're right."

She took a few minutes to collect the clothes she originally came in and seal them back into the scroll that she brought.

Once this was done, she came back to Naruto, "Well, I'm ready to go when you are."

Naruto smiled and led her to the front door, and then out of the grounds. As they walked the streets, they noticed quite a few late-night partiers in some of the bars that lined their route. Most of them greeted Naruto and Kurenai rather cheerfully, but there were those few who pointed and whispered. Kurenai even caught verbal jabs and angry glares aimed at her from the occasional drunk woman, always coming after they had leered at Naruto. Kurenai simply looked their way, smiled sadly and shook her head, not even stopping to respond, causing them to get even angrier.

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at this. Kurenai was handling herself extraordinarily well, and it seemed that nothing would dampen her spirits right now. He simply continued to lead them on their way, smiling and waving at those who greeted him.

Once they reached Kurenai's apartment, they both said a quick non-romantic goodbye to each other. Naruto told Kurenai to be at the grounds by five in the morning instead of eight. She nodded in acquiescence to his instructions and promised to be there at the appointed time. As she closed her door, Naruto flashed back to his home, preparing for tomorrow's training.

Elsewhere, however, others were not receiving such warm tidings as they had returned home…

* * *

><p><strong>And that's a wrap for Chapter 6! So…how about this? Naruto and Kurenai love each other, they've admitted it…but they're not a couple yet? How will this play out? Let's wait and see. And what's up with Hinata ABORTING Naruto's child?<strong>

**For those of you who are worried about Sakura, you may stop worrying. She will make an appearance soon enough.**

**Also…next chapter**** -**** one of the big ones you've all been waiting for: the missing pieces of Hinata's back story from the HYUUGA'S points of view (including Hinata's own)!**

**Just a heads-up as well: updates may be a little slower coming for a while. Work's got me swamped! But...I will try to keep you all updated as best I can. Until then, thanks for reading (thanks even MORE for REVIEWING), and so long!**

**READ AND REVIEW: You like to! You LOVE to!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I make no money from writing fanfiction starring, cente****r****ing around, or otherwise involving Naruto in some way.**

**As always, thank you so much to those who have reviewed, offered suggestions, and just left good, detailed feedback.**

**Special thanks to: Ihateheroes (one of my very good writing buddies – I strongly reco****m****mend his work, particularly A Fishcake's Affair), Darth Malleus (another of my very good writin****g buddies – I also strongly recommend his story, The Good Left Undone, which is a Naruto/Star Wars crossover that I am beta-reading for him), BloodIronAngel (for honest feedback), Meech Macko, Kur0kushi (for comments on my writing style - working on it, b****e****lieve me), Crypton89, Tristan76 (for such great and detailed feedback), BloodIronAngel, Chupii and Not Quite a Drifter**

**Additional SPECIAL thanks to soprano-in-waiting, Tristan Ludlam and Gakin for pointing out errors and inconsistencies in the previous cha****pter.**

**And my most sincere apologies to mtziggorot for the unintentional cruelty of going so long without updating…and even more for not being able to deliver EVERYTHING I said I would in this chapter…but you'll get the rest in the next, please be patient j****ust a little longer…**

**Further thanks go to all who I might have missed who have left encouraging words for me; they are greatly appreciated, and they have been a great help to me to continue writing and delivering more material to you; please keep them coming!**

* * *

><p><strong>IMPORTANT! NOW THAT MY GRATITUDE HAS BEEN EXPRESSED, WITNESS MY FIRST-EVER AUTHOR'S RANT:<strong>

**Many of you have expressed displeasure at Naruto's decision to refrain from sex until he is married! While I respect the fact that you have your point of view, ****his decision had NOT****H****ING TO DO with a moral stance! His decision was his reaction to his first-ever sexual rel****a****tionship ending REALLY, REALLY BADLY! He made that decision in order to protect himself and make sure that nothing even remotely like that eve****r happened to him EVER AGAIN!**

**For those who have talked about how making sure someone is sexually-compatible before marriage, HOPEFULLY SEXUAL COMPATIBILITY is NOT the main factor in your consideration to marry somebody; your marriage WON'T last long if that's the main concern (I'm married, as are, or in some cases WERE, most of my friends; I would know).**

**It is not my intent to offend any of you with this, but my point is that characters, AS WE THE AUTHORS WRITE THEM, will NOT always do what YOU THE READERS**** WANT THEM TO DO! They won't even always do what WE THE AUTHORS WANT THEM TO DO (at least not if we're writing good, believable characters). Naruto, AS I, THE AUTHOR OF THIS STORY, HAVE WRITTEN HIM, made a decision that falls in line with his character**** and nature AS I HAVE PROTRAYED THEM, and the opinions of several fellow-authors that I trust concur with this opinion. Not only that, but they also agree that this has been made clear, or at the very least it can be easily inferred, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF**** THE STORY!**

**OK! I'm done ranting now! :-)**

**Well…if you're still here, thanks for sticking with me. And now, Chapter 7!**

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><p>Chapter 7: The Hyuuga Remember, Part 1: Hiashi and Hanabi<p>

Konohamaru was walking through the streets of Konoha's merchant district with a smile on his face as he pushed Hanabi's wheelchair along in front of him. Hanabi, herself, wore quite a radiant smile, as did their current strolling companions, Neji and Tenten. All of them left Naruto's home quite satisfied with the way the night as a whole turned out. If there was one thing they could all agree upon, it was that Naruto was a first-class cook that could throw together a meal fit for a daimyo!

It had also been a night full of surprises: none of them had known that Naruto had any degree of musical talent at all, much less the ability to play so many different musical instruments with such masterful skill as he had shown them tonight. Certain things were also made quite clear to just about everyone who was at the house: Naruto and Kurenai…it was just a matter of time. Hanabi's smile turned into a smirk as she thought back to the sisterly advice she gave to Naruto. Konohamaru noticed the smirk on Hanabi's face and made a mental note to ask her about it when Neji and Tenten weren't around. He knew what that smirk meant: she had just put a scheme of some kind into motion, and if he didn't miss his guess, Naruto was right in the middle of it. She was being rather tight-lipped about the talk she had with him on his back patio, after all.

As they strolled through the village streets, greeting and waving at many cheerful (and admittedly drunk) people, Konohamaru became more and more curious about Hanabi's conversation with Naruto. He wasn't the type to need gossip, or to look for it, but he had a feeling that this was something monumental…and quite important to Naruto's life. Hanabi might have captured Konohamaru's penchant for mischief, but she wasn't one to dabble in meaningless affairs.

Hanabi looked up at her fiancé, seeing him lost in thought. She posed the question, "What's on your mind, my love?"

'Why can't she just call me "baby" or "honey" or something normal?' he thought in half-annoyance/half-amusement. He turned his attention to her.

"Your little chat with the boss on his patio," he responded in a low tone so as not to be overheard by Neji and Tenten.

"I'll tell you when we're alone, I promise," she told him with a reassuring smile while knowing that waiting in anticipation would just make it worse for him.

"OK," Ko said as he sighed in resignation.

Hanabi just nodded, continued to smile and went back to greeting passersby on the streets.

They made it back to the Hyuuga Compound without incident and entered the grounds, seeing an atmosphere that was just as festive as was in the streets, but without the typical ruckus found in large groups consuming copious quantities of alcohol. One thing that could be said about the Hyuuga Clan: they were good at maintaining a noble appearance, and they knew how to genuinely enjoy themselves without the need for intoxicants. The four of them smiled at the sight as they were all greeted by many of their clansmen, both main- and branch-family.

As they were making their way through the courtyard, they caught sight of Hinata "making her rounds" through the celebration, mingling with her clansmen with a phony smile that was betrayed by eyes that were still as cold as ice. As Hinata made eye-contact with them, her smile dropped for a moment, turning into a scowl before she forcefully plastered it back on. She made her way towards them and began to "greet" them in a sickeningly-sweet voice.

"Good evening, Neji, Tenten, Konohamaru…" her tone showed forcefully-repressed disdain as she greeted the last of the party, "…Hanabi…dear little sister."

They all nodded as she greeted them by name, with Hanabi adding with genuine warmth, "Hello, Hinata. How are you tonight?"

Hinata's jaw clenched as she couldn't help but remember the many times where their positions were reversed in the past. It was always Hinata who tried to be warm, and it was Hanabi who was cold in response. Regaining her faculties, Hinata replied, "I'm well…thank you for asking. Tell me: how was Lord Namikaze's party?" she finished with mild venom.

Hanabi blinked in response and sighed. Konohamaru put a comforting hand on her shoulder, which she clasped with her own while answering Hinata, "It was quite grand. Lord Namikaze is a very generous host, and Kurenai Yuhi is also quite a gracious hostess, as she helped him to host the affair."

Hinata seemed a tad surprised at this. Granted, she had seen Naruto and her former sensei together a lot, and the word around town was that she was under an apprenticeship with him for fuinjutsu, and was also helping him with some projects that he was working on…there were a few rumors that there might be a bit more going on, but she had dismissed them as just that: rumors. Surely Kurenai wouldn't betray her by getting involved with the man who broke her heart and left her…would she?

Hinata's eyes narrowed as she began to glare balefully at Hanabi, "So…you enjoyed yourselves then?"

"Very much so, thank you," Hanabi answered with a genuine smile, hoping still that the sweet Hinata that she missed terribly might still be in there somewhere.

"I'm glad for that. Please excuse me," said Hinata very quickly as she made a rather quick retreat from the party, leaving them rather curious as to what just happened. Little did they know that Hiashi was watching the brief exchange from a few yards away, remembering back to a dark day in the Hyuuga Clan, and particularly in his family…

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><p><em>Hiashi sat with the Hyuuga Elder Council alongside the outer edge of the Hyuuga Dojo Training Floor. He couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction: Hanabi would finally put Hinata in her place and make her pay for publicly embarrassing him and the Hyuuga name when they were in camp all of those months ago. How he hated to look upon that face with all its smug sweetness, though that sweetness had long since left her face in recent months, which confused him.<em>

'_Time to ponder on that, later,' he decided as he saw Hanabi and Hinata enter the dojo on opposite sides, both dressed in black Hyuuga training uniforms, and bowing to the elders, followed by Hanabi bowing to her father. Hinata didn't bow to her father, and both Hiashi and the elders took notice of this. Hiashi became enraged at Hinata's lack of respect towards him, while the elders themselves simply seemed to grow curious._

"_Hinata?" asked Hiro Hyuuga, Hiashi's father._

"_Yes, Grandfather?" asked Hinata in a respectful tone, angering Hiashi even further that she was now making a show of disrespecting him._

"_Why is it that you do not bow to your father?" he asked, in a tone that belayed honest curiosity._

"_Because he is undeserving of my respect," she answered straightforwardly, causing some of the elders to gasp in shock while Hiro simply raised an eyebrow, more intrigued now than he was before while Hinata continued, "And I am not going to make a show of respecting that evil, hypocritical __**bastard**__…" at this, some of the elders gasped while both Hiashi and Hanabi glared and growled, "…simply because he struts around wearing the title of 'Clan Head'. If he wants my respect, let him prove himself deserving of it by showing himself to be an impartial leader…and an impartial __**father**__."_

_Hiro's gaze hardened as he turned to Hiashi, who felt his father's gaze upon him. As soon as he turned to meet his father's hardened eyes, Hiashi glanced downward, fuming but silent. Hanabi simply got angrier and began to unleash killing intent at Hinata for disrespecting and mocking the man who had loved her and supported her throughout her life._

_Hiashi brought his gaze up and spoke in a cold, yet angry tone, "Well, Hinata, since you seem so eager to get this duel over with…"_

"_A moment," Hiro interrupted, causing Hiashi to whip his head around and look at his father. Hiro stood up and walked onto the floor._

_He began, "As Hinata has made the claim that Hiashi is not an impartial leader or an impartial father, then it must be implied that Hinata does not trust Hiashi to be fair and impartial as a judge. Would that be accurate, Hinata?"_

_Hinata simply nodded in response to her grandfather's inquiry, causing Hiashi and his younger daughter to get even angrier, Hiashi because he had been humiliated and had his character called into question once more by his eldest, while Hanabi believed that he would be fair…after all, she had always beaten Hinata fairly in all of their other spars, hadn't she?_

_Hiro looked at Hanabi, "Hanabi, do you trust me to be fair?"_

_Hanabi took a moment to collect herself as she looked to her grandfather and nodded in the affirmative._

_Hiro then looked to Hinata, "Hinata, do you trust me to be fair?"_

"_Yes, grandfather," replied Hinata, again, with a respectful tone._

_Hiro then turned to Hiashi and the remaining elders, "Then in the interest of showing fairness and impartiality, I will act as judge during this duel. Are there any objections?"_

_All of the elders remained stoic and quiet. Hiashi himself said nothing, though it was clear that he was not happy with this turn of events._

_Hiro then turned to both combatants and began anew, "This is a duel to determine the future leadership of the Hyuuga Clan. As such, certain rules will be adhered to. The match will end when one of you yields, or when one of you is no longer able to fight. As this is a duel and not a spar, I will not step in to end the match for any reason, except to keep one of you from killing your opponent if they have become incapacitated. No techniques are barred, and killing is allowed, as sanctioned by the Hyuuga by-laws in such a scenario."_

_Hiro then took a moment to glance at both of his granddaughters. Having sized them both up and seeing that they were ready, he added one final comment, "It is customary to allow each combatant one final chance to speak to the other before the fighting commences. Hanabi, do you have anything to say to Hinata before we begin?"_

_Hiashi smirked as Hanabi mustered as much killing intent as she could and aimed it at Hinata before speaking, "This won't be like our spars, big sister! I'm going to make you pay for disrespecting our father!"_

_Hiashi turned to Hinata, and his smirk fell when he saw that she was completely unaffected by Hanabi's intent to kill._

_Hiro then turned to Hinata, "Hinata, do you have anything to say to Hanabi before we begin?"_

_Hiashi felt the level of Hinata's killing intent and paled, as it had dwarfed Hanabi's own as Hinata said with a malicious grin, "I'm going to enjoy this."_

_Hanabi herself began to find it difficult to breathe under the oppressive weight of Hinata's killing intent. Hiashi began to fear for Hanabi's life, now; Hinata had no intention of holding back, and if her killing intent was anything to go by, then Hanabi was in serious trouble!_

_Hiro announced, "BEGIN!" and Hiashi watched as Hanabi moved to enter the Gentle Fist Taijutsu stance, only to be knocked back by a fierce kick to her solar plexus from Hinata, completely knocking the wind out of her and sending her fifteen feet through the air only to hit the opposite wall and crumple to the floor in a heap! Hanabi began to struggle to get up, but Hinata didn't even give her room to breathe as she was on her in an instant, sending Gentle Fist strikes into Hanabi's back, driving her into the floor as she continued trying to get up, completely unable to defend herself._

_Hiashi began to fear more for Hanabi as Hinata's onslaught didn't let up for close to a minute, and with the number of chakra-enhanced blows that Hinata sent into the younger girl's body, Hiashi feared that his youngest was already severely injured. Hinata finally let up after cracks in the hardwood beneath Hanabi became evident, showing that Hinata was hitting her hard enough to create an indentation in the floor._

_Hiashi watched on as Hinata stepped back a few feet and asked Hanabi in a cold voice, "Do you yield to your better, little sister?"_

_As Hiashi watched Hanabi struggle to stand up, he noticed that she was coughing up blood. Hanabi activated her Byakugan and once again attempted to enter the Gentle Fist stance, only for Hinata to declare, "Very well, then, but…" she entered a stance that was very familiar to everyone there, and Hiashi now truly feared that Hinata meant to kill Hanabi. He tried to stand in order to interfere with the fight, but two of the elders restrained him, closing off certain tenketsu points in his body and making him temporarily incapable of performing certain Gentle Fist techniques such as the Palm Rotation that might enable him to get free from their grip. He could do naught but watch helplessly and Hinata finished her announcement, "…you are in range of my Eight Trigrams!"_

_Hinata, arms outstretched, one front of her, one in back of her, took a squatting stance, spreading her legs, facing her palms upward. She announced her technique, "Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams, One-Hundred-Twenty Eight Palms."_

_When Hiashi heard this, he cried out, "NOOOO!" as he struggled to get free from the grip of the elders who were restraining him and keeping him where he was. He began to feel more and more helpless as he watched Hanabi adopt a fearful expression, and his fear grew as Hanabi refused to yield the match. Hinata at that point charged forward and began her attack._

"_Eight Trigrams…Two Palms!" two strikes struck Hanabi, signifying two closed tenketsu points._

"_Four Palms!" two more strikes closed off two more tenketsu points._

"_Eight Palms!" four more strikes struck, causing Hanabi to stumble._

"_SIXTEEN PALMS!" Hinata's assault didn't even show signs of slowing down, and Hanabi began spitting up blood again._

"_THIRTY-TWO PALMS!" Hinata's blows came faster and faster, and Hanabi's eyes began to glaze over, showing severe signs of disorientation._

"_SIXTY-FOUR PALMS!" At this point, Hinata began striking Hanabi in places other than on the front of her body, whirling around, striking tenketsu points on her head, and on her back. Hanabi stumbled even more, appearing disoriented._

"_EIGHT TRIGRAMS, ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-EIGHT PALMS!" Hinata was a whirl of strikes and flurries at this point, closing off even more tenketsu inside Hanabi's body…but it didn't end there._

_Hinata adopted a sadistic grin as she grabbed Hanabi's hair immediately after delivering the last strike of her attack, pulling her head in and sending a powerful gentle fist strike to Hanabi's head just behind her left ear. Hiashi cried out in horror as he saw Hanabi's ear begin to bleed. Hinata then began to deliver brutal blows to Hanabi's face before grabbing her hair closer to the back of her skull and driving Hanabi's head into the wall, again…and again…and again. Hiashi cried in sheer anguish for his youngest daughter as Hinata continued to maul her relentlessly._

"_Hinata," came Hiro's voice, gently, yet firmly, causing Hinata to turn to him, "Hanabi has been incapacitated. You've won the duel, and the right to lead the Hyuuga Clan when Hiashi steps down."_

_Hinata looked at the girl whose head she was holding by the hair, and she noticed that she was convulsing, but not making a sound. Her face was swollen, almost beyond recognition, discolored in several shades of black, blue and purple, with several cuts and gashes covering her once-beautiful visage. One of her eyes was swollen completely shut, and the other just stared off into nothing; she had lost consciousness. Hinata's first impulse was to be completely horrified at what she'd done, but she quickly forced that down as she remembered all of the times where Hanabi had beaten her into unconsciousness, and Hiashi had not only allowed it, but seemed to enjoy it if the smile he had on his face at the time was any indication._

_Hinata adopted a cold expression as she threw Hanabi backwards. Hanabi's unconscious body rolled from the force of Hinata's toss and sprawled face-down in the center of the room, her single open eye seeming to stare eerily at Hiashi, almost in an accusing way as her body continued to spasm and twitch. Hiashi looked at his youngest child in horror, wondering if she was alive or dead, and then turned an enraged snarl at Hinata, who simply looked coldly at him._

"_What's wrong…Hiashi?" she asked coldly, causing him to pause…it was the first time she had ever used his name instead of calling him 'father'. She added in a tone that was almost as smug as it was cold, "I thought you wanted me to be more like you."_

_Hiashi's eyes widened at this. Did she really think that he was like this? Is this what his actions said to her? Had he really been this cold, this cruel, and this sadistic to her? He couldn't believe that he had. A single tear rolled down his face as he watched Hinata leave, not even bothering to look back._

_As two Branch Family members collected Hanabi's unconscious form to take her into the Medical Ward, so many of the things that he had said to, and about, Hinata, came back to his memory._

"_I have no use for such a weak heir."_

"_Your sister, who's five years younger than you, could already be a better ninja than you are as a graduated genin!"_

"_Get out of that bed and dry those tears! Start acting like a Hyuuga!" he remembered saying this one when she was in the Hyuuga Medical Ward from injuries given to her by Hanabi._

"_Maybe my grandchild won't be the disappointment you are when I raise him or her correctly!" that one was one that he'd come to regret for the rest of his life._

"_Hiashi," Hiro began, causing his son to turn his gaze to him. The elders let him go and reopened his tenketsu, but Hiashi was too numb with shock to notice._

_Hiro continued, "Behold the fruit of your favoritism."_

_Hiashi gaped, "What?" he asked as he became angry, "How is what that MONSTER did MY FAULT?"_

_Hiro simply walked up to Hiashi, spat in his face and punched him in the nose hard enough to break it. Hiashi brought his hands up to his nose as he recoiled from the blow. Hiro began to yell at the top of his lungs, his own fury making his face turn red, "YOU MAKE ME SICK! YOU HAVE SHOWN BLATANT FAVORITISM TO HANABI OVER HINATA SINCE HISARA DIED! AND IF YOU WEREN'T SUCH A COWARD, YOU'D ADMIT THAT THE ONLY REASON YOU TREAT HINATA THE WAY YOU DO IS BECAUSE SHE'S THE SPITTING IMAGE OF HER MOTHER, EXCEPT THAT YOU AND HANABI BEAT THE KIND WOMAN THAT SHE MODELED AFTER HISARA OUT OF HER! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED HERE TODAY, AND IF HINATA IS A MONSTER, IT IS ONLY BECAUSE __**YOU HAVE MADE HER INTO ONE**__!"_

_Hiro paused to catch his breath before continuing his rant, "NEVER ONE TIME DID I SHOW THIS KIND OF FAVORITISM BETWEEN YOU AND HIZASHI! THE ONLY TIME YOU RECEIVED MORE ATTENTION THAN HE DID WAS WHEN I WAS TRAINING YOU TO TAKE OVER THE CLAN'S LEADERSHIP! NEVER ONCE DID I LOVE YOU MORE THAN HIM, OR EVEN GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT I DID! YOU ARE A DISGRACE AS A CLAN HEAD! YOU ARE A DISGRACE AS A FATHER! YOU DON'T EVEN DESERVE THE TITLE, AND HINATA HAD EVERY RIGHT TO DISPENSE WHAT SHE DID IN THIS DUEL TODAY! IF IT HAD BEEN HANABI DOING THAT TO HINATA, YOU WOULD HAVE WATCHED IT ALL WITH A SMILE!"_

_Hiashi recoiled more and more at his father's harsh rebuke. His final accusation hit him like a ton of bricks; the shame of it was that it was true. Hinata didn't deserve the treatment that she received at his hand, and the only reason he did it was because it was the only way his arrogance would allow him to deal with the pain that he wasn't willing to feel and resolve at the loss of the woman who was the love of his life._

_Hiro brought his son out of his reflection, "You can worry about that, later. Right now, we should probably go and see if Hanabi will be alright."_

_Hiashi simply nodded, forgetting all about the blood and snot flowing down his face and began to make his way towards the infirmary at a less-than-dignified pace. Once there, one of the nurses pulled him into the Ward and treated his broken nose after he had told her that his father had given it to him. When she had raised her eyebrow, he simply said with a humility that was very uncharacteristic of him, "I deserved it; please don't ask beyond that."_

_After she was done setting his nose back into place and treating him with medical ninjutsu, he inquired about his youngest daughter. She simply told him that she was currently being worked on, and that the Hokage's first apprentice, Shizune, had been summoned to oversee the procedures that would be used to treat her injuries. Hiashi's eyebrows raised in surprise at this; Hanabi was in need of a doctor of Shizune's caliber? This gave an indication as to just how brutal Hinata had been. Scared for his youngest daughter's well-being, and her life, Hiashi began to fret and worry. The nurse managed to calm him, informing him that she was in very good hands, and that he would be informed as soon as the immediate procedures were over. He was escorted out of the infirmary where he joined the elders and his father, all of whom were waiting for news on Hanabi's condition._

_After several hours had passed, an exhausted Shizune walked out of the infirmary and approached Hiashi. Hiashi stood up anxiously, waiting for Shizune to give him an update._

_Shizune smiled weakly and sadly, "She's alive and stable."_

_At this, Hiashi let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he closed his eyes, allowing his relief to wash over him._

_Shizune pulled Lord Hiashi aside and asked in a tone that was both stern and direct, "Lord Hiashi, I have to ask how Hanabi sustained injuries of such a magnitude. Unless I miss my guess, those injuries were caused by Gentle Fist strikes…so how did she get them?"_

_Hiashi filled her in on the duel between Hinata and Hanabi, and about how the rules of the duel were strictly adhered to, so no charges could be brought against Hinata for what she had done, as it did fall under Clan business. Shizune was surprised at what she was hearing; she had heard that Hinata could be cruel and brutal on the battlefield, but she never imagined Hinata doing something like this to anyone in her family._

_When Hiashi finished explaining, Shizune continued, "Hanabi will recover, but it won't be a full recovery. I can tell you that the external injuries to her face and her skeleton, we were able to fix without too much trouble; she won't even have any real scars from those injuries. But when we talk about her internal injuries, it gets much more serious. Many of her tenketsu points have been warped and horribly damaged. She'll never mold chakra again; it will be too painful for her to even make the attempt. Her uterus was damaged, but it's honestly too early to tell if this will bar her from ever having children. Her inner ear was damaged on the left side of her head. She's always going to have problems with her balance, now, and it will be a miracle if she'll ever walk again at all, but if she does manage to be able to stand on her feet, she'll suffer severe vertigo, so she'll need assistance for the rest of her life. She'll have to spend most of her time in a wheelchair. She'll never fight again, and her days as a ninja are over. I'm sorry Lord Hiashi."_

_Hiashi became more and more crestfallen the more he heard about Hanabi's injuries. He simply nodded and gave a quiet "thank you" to Shizune who bowed and took her leave, while also informing him that she would be coming by every day to monitor Hanabi's health and progress, to which Hiashi expressed further gratitude._

_Hiashi went into the infirmary and allowed the staff still in there to lead him to his daughter's bedside, ironically the same bed that they always used to put Hinata in when Hanabi had put her in the Ward. Seeing his broken youngest child, face swollen and bruised, and hooked up to tubes and monitoring devices, was almost more than be could bear. His own mind began to super-impose Hinata's face over Hanabi's own, as he himself remembered many days that Hinata had spent in this room. He also remembered that he always wore a scowl whenever Hinata was in that bed, instead of the grimace of anguish and grief that he now felt._

_Realizing that in so many ways, he was indeed responsible for what happened today, he did something he had never done before. He collapsed with his face to the ground, broke down and wept._

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><p>Hiashi brushed these thoughts aside to make room for more cheerful ones as he made his way over to the party of four that had just returned, greeting them much more warmly than Hinata just had. They all exchanged pleasantries, Hiashi asking about their evening, being told in much more detail than Hinata had gotten from them. He seemed genuinely happy for them all, but Hanabi and Neji could see the anguish and regret in his eyes as he looked over Hanabi. Nights like this were always bittersweet for him: he was thankful for the victory that the Shinobi Alliance had won, but thoughts of the war always brought with them thoughts of Hinata's estrangement from and resentment towards her family.<p>

As he wished them all well, the two couples parted ways: Neji and Tenten presumably to their own chambers, while Konohamaru continued to wheel Hanabi around the courtyard to mingle some more. Even as Hanabi was greeting other members of her clan and celebrating with them, her thoughts found their way back to when she was first told by her father of the arrangement he had made with Konohamaru…

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><p><em>Hanabi opened her eyes and regained consciousness only to feel aches and pains all over her body. She was disoriented, and her vision was blurry; it didn't help that her eyes were not adapted to the bright light in the room she was in…<em>

'_Wait, where am I?' she asked herself, feeling the rise of panic. She tried looking around, but she could barely move her head. Seeing that she couldn't turn her head, she began to dart her eyes this way and that, trying to drink in details so that she could get an idea of where she was. Her vision was still blurry; she couldn't make anything out, but she did notice the sterile smell of antiseptics and medical fluids. This helped her to figure out what she was in a medical facility of some kind._

'_Why am I in here?' she asked herself in her confusion. The girl began to think hard; what was the last thing she remembered? As she was thinking, flashes began to come into her mind: a powerful kick to her midsection, and hitting a hard surface and collapsing almost immediately after…trying to get up repeatedly, only to feel a force of some kind on her back continue to push her into the floor…pain in her back and ribs from absorbing this force…standing up slowly and feeling dizzy…looking up to see – Hinata? That's right! She had been facing Hinata in a duel for the title of Hyuuga Heir!_

_More and more flashes started to go through her mind: Hinata saying something that she couldn't make out…Hinata's stance into the Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams 32 (or more) Palms Stance, and the fear she felt at seeing it…being jostled this way and that at the feeling of small precise strikes upon her body…a hard force striking her on the side of her head behind one of her ears…after that, it was all kind of fuzzy. She remembered still being jostled back and forth after that hit behind her ear, but the details of what exactly happened to her were hazy; she couldn't remember how it ended._

_Bringing herself back to the present, she realized that her eyesight was still a bit blurry. _

_Remembering that she couldn't move, she tried calling out._

"_Hello?" she cried out in as string a voice as she could muster, which was still rather quiet._

'_Why do I feel so weak?' she asked herself, feeling confused and fearful once again. She heard the sound of footsteps immediately after her outcry, getting louder; the person making the footsteps was coming her way!_

"_You're awake!" she heard a familiar voice call out. She tried to squint in an effort to sharpen the image before her eyes. As her vision began to clear a little, she recognized her father's face…but it looked…tired? Ashen? It wasn't the strong visage that she herself drew strength from, but the visage of a man who was exhausted…no, exhausted wasn't the right word…__**depleted**__? Yes, her father looked depleted._

"_Father?" she said in a quiet, weak voice once again, "Are you…OK?"_

_She saw him smile, and bring a hand to her face, "I am, now, daughter. For a while there, I didn't know if you would ever come around."_

_Hanabi frowned in confusion at this, "Huh? What do you mean?"_

_Hiashi replied, "You've been in a coma for nine days. The staff and Shizune have been working constantly to help you recover, and at times, they had to work so hard just to…keep you alive."_

_Hiashi then became somber as he replied, "Hanabi…this isn't going to be easy for you to hear. In your duel against your sister, Hinata…defeated you… soundly. But, she didn't stop there."_

_Hanabi began to grow fearful of what her father had to share. She watched him take a deep breath and listened as he continued, "I'm afraid that…Hinata has effectively made you into a cripple."_

_She felt tears come into her eyes as he continued to explain what Hinata did to her, keeping his tone slow and even so that he could get it all out, "Your injuries were so severe that you will never be able to mold chakra again. You'll never be able to fight again. In fact, you'll have such severe vertigo and disorientation when you try to stand up without assistance that you'll…never even be able to walk again by yourself…" she had never heard her father sound so broken and defeated as he finished, "…I'm so sorry, Hanabi. This is all my fault!"_

_She had never seen her father cry before, and it hurt her terribly to see the man whose strength she depended on reduced to such a state._

_She tried to comfort him, her voice still straining to make itself heard, "Father…please…don't blame yourself. You didn't make Hinata…do this…to me."_

"_He might as well have," she heard from a cold voice, at which Hiashi seemed to sadden._

"_Hinata, please…why are you here?" asked Hiashi as he turned to his oldest daughter who had just arrived at Hanabi's bedside. Hanabi's own gaze turned to see her sister's cold scowl, which suddenly morphed into a cold smirk._

"_Oh, you know…just wanted to see how the hypochondriac is doing," Hinata replied, her tone still cold and biting._

_Hanabi felt tears come into her eyes once more as she remembered saying similar things to Hinata when she was in the bed that Hanabi currently occupied._

_As the tears began to flow, Hinata spoke again, still with a smirk, "Dry those tears, you disgrace, and start acting like a Hyuuga!"_

"_HINATA!" Hiashi said in a firm yet saddened voice, "That's enough! You've made your point; please go!"_

"_Have I?" Hinata asked as she turned to her father, that cold, malicious smirk still in place, "If our positions were reversed, she'd be saying the exact same things to me, and you'd be __**cheering her on!**__"_

_Hiashi simply became silent at that. He turned back towards Hanabi, his eyes closed and his face downcast, "I know…and I'm sorry. Please…leave Hanabi in peace for now."_

_Hinata simply snorted in grossly-exaggerated disgust as she simply said, "As if a disgrace like her is worth my attention anyway," and with that she turned and walked away, but stopped before turning one last time to regard her bedridden younger sister._

_The smirk still on her face, Hinata asked, "How does it feel to be on the receiving end for a change, Hanabi?" and with that she walked away, not looking back._

_Hanabi couldn't stop the sobs that were now involuntarily coming from her throat. Hiashi also began to shed tears of his own._

"_Father…" said Hanabi, getting Hiashi's attention, "…was I really…that cruel to Hinata before?"_

_Hiashi responded as his voice quivered with his tears, "We both were, Hanabi. I know that you did it simply because it's what you saw me doing. But, I knew better…and I was still cruel to her anyway. That's why I'm the one responsible for all of this."_

_Hanabi simply sobbed weakly, really taking in what had just happened, and remembering just how many times she must have made Hinata feel this way. She was experiencing it once…right now. She had done this to Hinata countless times._

_Hanabi then asked in a tone both sad and fearful, "Father…what does this mean for me, now? Will I be…put in the Branch Family, and…given the Caged Bird Seal?"_

_Hiashi answered her calmly, "No, daughter. I've made certain arrangements to prevent that from happening."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I've arranged a marriage contract between you and Konohamaru Sarutobi."_

_Hanabi's eyes widened at this, not knowing how to respond. Hiashi continued, "The stipulations of it are that the contract can't be fulfilled until you are of marriageable age, which is still three years off. In that time, the two of you can get to know each other…and in my opinion, it's the best option for you."_

_Hanabi's eyes closed in response at this as fresh tears poured forth once again. It saddened her that an arranged marriage was her best chance at happiness._

_Hiashi noticed this and tried to cheer her up with a smile and some encouraging words, "Konohamaru is a fine young man, Hanabi. He has agreed to treat you well, and to court you properly. If the arrangement is not to the liking of either of you, you have the option to nullify the contract. Remember, you don't have to fulfill it right away; you have plenty of time in which to get to know each other."_

_Hanabi, not feeling cheered but seeing her father's efforts, smiled weakly and nodded._

"_Would you like to see him?" Hiashi asked, surprising Hanabi._

"_He's here now?" she asked in response._

"_He is," and with this, Hiashi stood up and walked towards the door. Hanabi overheard him saying, "You can enter now."_

_He turned back to Hanabi and gave her a genuine smile as he left. She smiled weakly in turn, and it was then she saw the young Sarutobi heir walk into the room. He was taller than she remembered, and this was the first time that she had noticed just how handsome he was. His hair was slicked back and groomed neatly, a far cry from the wild spiky way he used to wear it, bangs being held off of his forehead by his Konoha headband. He was in a long-sleeved back shirt and tan pants, with black shinobi sandals. Over his shirt, he wore the jounin vest that he had earned during the war when he had been the sole survivor to return from a seek-and-destroy mission against a patrol of white Zetsu clones, on which his entire squad except for him had been killed. Not only did he complete his mission despite what happened to his jounin-sensei-turned-captain and his two old genin teammates, but he had also brought their bodies back to camp by himself so that they could receive proper funeral rites._

"_Ermm…hi," he said with a somewhat shy smile, bringing her back to the present._

_She gave him a weak smile as she responded, "Hi…"_

* * *

><p>Hanabi now thanked any Kami that she could think of that had brought this wonderful man into her life. She still found it ironic and strange that she was much happier now…as a cripple…than she ever was before she became wheelchair-bound.<p>

It had been Konohamaru that had become her strength and inspiration after they started courting each other. At first, she had great difficulty adjusting to her current situation, and frequently found herself depressed, frustrated and angry. She was very difficult to be around; she knew she was very difficult to be around…and yet, Konohamaru simply listened very patiently to every tantrum, didn't take any name she called him personally, and not only encouraged her to push herself to get out of the wheelchair more, but even pushed her to go farther, longer, and try even harder. It was thanks to him that she could even stand up at all now, much less for up to half an hour unassisted…on a good day.

In a few short weeks, she would be Hanabi Hyuuga Sarutobi, and as far as she was concerned, it couldn't come fast enough. She loved this man, and she knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that he loved her with all his being. The thought of being his wife, and of his becoming her husband excited her and made her very, very happy.

Hiashi watched on as Hanabi went through the crowd, greeting people warmly, bringing greater light and joy to the atmosphere much the same way that Hinata used to do. Feelings of regret, particularly at his own mistakes as a father, came back to his mind as his thoughts went in this direction. It was with this in mind that he made eye-contact with his eldest daughter, who was continuing to make her way around the courtyard, very pointedly on the opposite end of where Konohamaru and Hanabi were. Hiashi couldn't help but think back once more…this time to a memory where he had tried to do what he could to maybe bring his sweet Hinata back again…

* * *

><p><em>Hiashi was in his office expecting the arrival of Naruto Namikaze, a man whose presence he never thought he would request. He didn't like the boy, thinking him to be a cocky, disrespectful upstart, but he couldn't deny the fact that he was regarded as the most powerful shinobi ever produced in the Hidden Leaf; he had shown that there was a reason for this by the way he had conducted himself during the War. Naruto had torn through opponents that nobody else except maybe the Kages could even seem to touch. Yes, Hiashi didn't like the boy…but he respected and feared his power and ability. He also knew that Naruto was the only person who might have a chance of bringing back the sweet Hinata that he had destroyed in his hateful stupidity.<em>

_He looked over the document that he was going to give to Naruto one last time, making sure that there were no clauses or phrases in it that would make it seem as though he was trying to gain control of Naruto in some way. After going over it for the umpteenth time, he laid it back down and simply waited. After a few more minutes of silent meditation and preparation, there was a knock of his office door._

"_Enter," he commanded firmly._

_The door opened, revealing a Branch family member to announce the arrival of Hiashi's expected guest, "Lord Hiashi, Lord Namikaze is here to see you at your behest."_

"_Thank you, Yousuke. Please send him in."_

_The now-identified Yousuke bowed in response and ushered the tall blond into Hiashi's office. As the door closed behind Naruto, Hiashi stood and extended his hand to Naruto, showing that he regarded him as an equal. Naruto took the hand offered, though his annoyed grimace clearly showed that he didn't want to be here._

"_Thank you for coming, Lord Namikaze," began Hiashi, "Can I get you anything?"_

"_No…thank you," Naruto replied, "If I might ask, Lord Hyuuga, can we just go ahead and get right down to business?"_

_Hiashi was rather surprised at the respect in Naruto's tone. It seemed that he might have to reevaluate the young man before him with regards to being cocky and disrespectful._

"_Yes, of course," he replied and gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk._

"_Please, have a seat," he invited Naruto, who sat down in the seat offered while Hiashi went behind his desk. Hiashi took a moment to situate himself before looking once again at his guest and informing him of the purpose behind his summons._

"_The reason I have asked you here is because I have an offer to make to you."_

"_An offer?" replied the young Namikaze with a curious frown._

_Hiashi picked up a scroll on his desk and handed it to Naruto, who again looked at Hiashi with a confused yet curious frown._

"_It's all in there," Hiashi replied with a nod, "Please read it in its entirety if you would before giving me an answer."_

_Naruto nodded slowly, his confused frown not leaving his face. What would prompt a man such as Hiashi Hyuuga to treat him with such respect and deference, at least outwardly, when he never had before now? Naruto brushed this question aside for the time being as he opened the scroll and began to read it. What he read there greatly surprised him; he almost stopped reading when he had read over the purpose of the document itself, but as he had agreed to Hiashi, he continued to read it through, noting the details._

_The document was an arranged marriage contract between himself and Hinata Hyuuga. Naruto noted that the details and stipulations of the contract were __**very**__ heavily in his favor, with almost nothing being asked in return by Hiashi. In addition to Hinata's hand, Hiashi was offering a hefty dowery to Naruto totaling several million ryo in value, as well as copies of scrolls detailing several secret Hyuuga Clan techniques. Hinata would take Naruto's name, live in the Namikaze Estate, and become part of his clan with no interference of any kind from him or any of the Hyuuga Elder Council. Hiashi also agreed to finance and sponsor the educational needs of any children that the marriage produced. As Naruto read this, his mind started churning; most clans would use such devices to gain some measure of power or influence over a person, or would at the very least create a situation that was of equal and mutual benefit to both parties involved; in essence, a fair trade. This wasn't a power play or an equitable trade – it was an act of seeming desperation…but, why exactly?_

_Naruto closed the contract up and handed it back to Hiashi giving him his answer, "I'm sorry, Lord Hiashi, but I must decline the offer."_

_Hiashi, though stricken, didn't show it outwardly. He kept his features perfectly schooled into a grim business-like expression as he asked, "Are there any additional clauses or stipulations that I can put into the contract that would make it more agreeable to you?"_

_Naruto frowned in both surprise and confusion at this question. He had never heard of Hiashi Hyuuga assuming such a position of conciliation when trying to broker an agreement of any kind._

_Naruto couldn't help but respond, "It's not the terms of the offer, Lord Hiashi…"_

_Hiashi quickly interrupted, his voice beginning to show some of the desperation that Naruto could see in the contract, "What, then? Lord Naruto, what can I do to convince you to accept this agreement?"_

_Naruto's eyes went wide in surprise at Hiashi's interruption before he adopted a thoughtful frown once more, "May I put up a silencing seal?"_

_Hiashi nodded, and Naruto stood up and walked to the door. He molded some chakra into his finger, using it to apply the seal and activating it before returning to his seat._

_Once he sat back down, he dropped any pretenses and asked, "Hiashi, what's this really about?"_

_Hiashi closed his eyes and sighed. Taking a few moments to collect his thoughts, Hiashi opened his eyes and loked Naruto dead in the eye. Naruto saw something that he never imagined he'd see in the eyes of the normally-stoic man before him: haunting and regret._

_Hiashi began, "I've made so many mistakes regarding Hinata, Naruto. I didn't realize just how far I'd fallen until Hinata…" Hiashi paused as his voice began to break in an effort to regain control of his timbre. Once he had done so, he continued, "…until Hinata brutally beat Hanabi in a clan-sanctioned duel for the leadership of the Hyuuga Clan."_

_Naruto nodded, "Yes, Konohamaru told me about that, and about your offer to him. I'm sorry…"_

_Hiashi nodded, "Thank you. Konohamaru told me about the discussion he had with you. It was actually because you gave Konohamaru Sarutobi such wise advice that I…sought to make this offer to you."_

_Naruto nodded once more, prompting Hiashi to continue, "Naruto, nobody has ever had such a positive influence on Hinata the way you did. You always did bring out the best in her, and I was too blinded by my own pain to see just how wonderful of a person she was. The truth is that…whenever I looked at Hinata, I could only see her mother..." Hiashi shed a single tear and blinked, his voice never wavering as he continued, "…and instead of dealing with my grief properly…I behaved in a cowardly fashion and used anger to numb the pain as best I could. Hinata paid the price for my cruelty and selfishness. Now, I see her…and I see a twisted and darkened caricature of her mother…"_

_Naruto interrupted him, "Hiashi, why didn't you ever just look at her as 'Hinata'? She's not her mother…she never was; she was her own person."_

"_I know that now," replied Hiashi, "Naruto…I just want my daughter back. I want her to be the beautiful, kind, wonderfully good and tender person she used to be! And you're the only person who can bring that person back! Please…" Hiashi got up from his desk, walked toward Naruto's position, dropped to his knees in front of him and bowed low, "…please, help me."_

_Naruto closed his eyes and gritted his teeth; as much as he wanted to help a man in such a position, he knew he couldn't. If he tried, if would not end well. He could not marry Hinata…not after what she'd done, and he needed to let Hiashi know that._

"_Hiashi," replied Naruto. Hiashi picked his head up off the floor to look at him, tears streaming down his face, once more surprising Naruto._

_Naruto continued, "Hiashi, what makes you think I can be of any help, here? I'm the one who broke off the relationship. And even if I hadn't, I can't be with a woman who willingly aborted a child of mine."_

_Hiashi replied to this, "If it's any consolation…that wasn't about you; she did that to spite me."_

"_That's precisely my point," Naruto responded, "It wasn't about me. I was that child's father, and she never even consulted me about her decision! She did it to spite you, not even caring that it would spite __**me**__! I didn't find out until after the fact, and to find out that my feelings weren't even a consideration to her…Hiashi, how can you ask me to marry a woman who'd do that to me?"_

_Hiashi didn't respond for several seconds. After the silence became uncomfortable, he spoke up, "I am sorry for your loss, Naruto; I truly am. I feel responsible for it all…and I asked you, and made this offer to you…because I could think of no other way…" at this, his voice did break, and he didn't bother trying to suppress his feelings or his tears anymore, "…to bring back my precious daughter! I didn't realize just how precious she was until she was no longer that person!"_

_Hiashi continued crying in that same position. Naruto put a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up at the blonde._

_Naruto spoke, in a tone that belayed his own heartache and pain, "I can't marry her, Hiashi. I understand, and I appreciate your position, believe me…but I can't marry a woman who would put her family before her spouse. And we both know that this is exactly what she would do if she and I were married; any decision where the interests of her extended family would conflict with the interests of our marriage would end up with the interests of her extended family winning out…and I won't stand for that."_

_Hiashi nodded, understanding Naruto's position. He wouldn't want to be in such a situation, either. He proceeded to rise to his feet, Naruto standing up with him._

"_I understand," Hiashi replied, extending his hand to Naruto to shake, "Thank you for…giving the offer the consideration that you have, and for seeing me on such short notice."_

_Naruto looked at the extended hand and took it, shaking it in gentle earnest._

_Naruto looked Hiashi in the eye and nodded, a newfound respect for the man before him arising within himself._

_Naruto released his hand and released the seal on Hiashi's door. Turning to take his leave, he turned back to Hiashi one last time, "Lord Hiashi, if there's anything else that I can ever do for you…please don't hesitate to call on me."_

_Hiashi nodded in gratitude, "Thank you, Lord Naruto. I extend you the same courtesy. Have a good afternoon."_

"_And you, sir," replied Naruto, who then left Hiashi to his own thoughts and work._

_Hiashi sat back down behind his desk, looking at the contract that Naruto had rejected and handed back to him. He let out a melancholy sigh._

'_Hinata…all I can do now is pray that in time…you'll forgive us for what we've done to you,' he thought to himself hopelessly._

'_Until then,' he thought to himself, this time with resolution, 'it's time I started accepting responsibility for my failings as a father, and do what I can to try to make things right. If you won't let me do that…I'll gladly bear the blame for my actions against you without complaint…for the rest of my life, if that's what it takes; it's the least I can do for you now.'_

_He finished his musings on a sad note and started to read through and handle his paperwork and clan business._

* * *

><p>Hinata saw her father looking at her with that regret that both hurt and infuriated her at the same time! After a few moments, she quickly made her way out of the courtyard, briskly heading to her own room. After closing the door, she clenched her eyes shut and balled her fists tightly, trying to suppress the tears of hurt and rage that threatened to spill forth. She hated how he would look at her with regret, now. Why couldn't he have just loved her? Why couldn't he have ever just given her a smile? It had to be NOW, that she had long-since given up on him and written him off as a monster, that he dared to show even an inkling of regret that he had wronged her?<p>

And Hanabi! She's sweet to everyone, and it's seen as endearing and wonderful! When Hinata was sweet to everyone, Hanabi and their father derided her as being weak! She simply couldn't win! It was so frustrating…and it still hurt so much. Hanabi…coming back from Naruto's…

'Naruto…' thought Hinata, now unable to hold in the tears as she thought back to the best time of her life: their short-lived relationship…

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><p><strong>And that's a WRAP for this chapter! Next chapter, Hinata's story! Again, my apologies for the length of time without an update<strong>**, but not only was work crazy, I had a VERY difficult time writing this chapter****; the next one should come MUCH faster! Please read and review! Thanks guys!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but it's fun to write him!**

**As always, thank you so much to those who have reviewed, offered suggestions, and left great feedback.**

**Special thanks to: Ihateheroes (one of my very good writing buddies – I strongly reco****m****mend his work, particularly A Fishcake's Affair), Darth Malleus (another of my very good writing buddies – I also strongly recommend his story, The Good Left Undone, which is a Naruto/Star Wars crossover that I am beta-reading for him), BloodIronAngel (for honest feedback), Meech Macko, Kur0kushi (for comments on my writing style - working on it, b****e****lieve me), Crypton89, Tristan76 (for such great and detailed feedback), BloodIronAngel, Chupii and Not Quite a Drifter**

**Additional SPECIAL thanks to soprano-in-waiting, Tristan Ludlam and Gakin for pointing out errors and inconsistencies in the previous chapter.**

**Further thanks go to all who I might have missed who have left encouraging words for me; they are greatly appreciated, and they have been a great help to me to continue writing and delivering more material to you; please keep them coming!**

**And I must say…this was a HARD CHAPTER TO WRITE! I'm honestly not sure if I did the situation justice or not, so any and all reviews concerning the believability of this chapter would be especially appreciated! Also, if it's not believable to you, please take the time to tell me why; don't just flame – I can handle flames, but I don't find them to be particularly useful, and I really like useful reviews.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: The Hyuuga Remember: Hinata!<strong>

**Previously, on "To Really Know Someone: The Hyuuga Remember…"**

Hinata saw her father looking at her in that regretful way that both hurt and infuriated her at the same time! After a few moments, she quickly made her way out of the courtyard, briskly heading to her own room. After closing and locking her door, she clenched her eyes shut and balled her fists tightly, trying to suppress the tears of hurt and rage that threatened to spill forth. She hated how he would look at her with regret, now. Why couldn't he have just loved her? Why couldn't he have ever just given her a smile? It had to be NOW, that she had long-since given up on him and written him off as a monster, that he dared to show even an inkling of regret that he had wronged her?

And Hanabi! She's sweet to everyone, and it's seen as endearing and wonderful! When Hinata was sweet to everyone, Hanabi and their father derided her as being weak! She simply couldn't win! It was so frustrating…and it still hurt so much. Hanabi…coming back from Naruto's…

'Naruto…' thought Hinata, now unable to hold in the tears as she thought back to the best time of her life: their short-lived relationship…

**And now, the conclusion of "To Really Know Someone: The Hyuuga Remember…"**

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><p><em>Hinata had dreaded the idea of going to war at first. It hadn't been easy, particularly not with her father and sister breathing down her neck, even here in base camp. She had learned quickly enough, though, that she had to kill her emotions when out on the battlefield, and she couldn't be afraid or hesitant to kill anyone; if she was, she was dead! She had seen enough of her comrades die this way throughout her tour of duty on this theater of operations. She never imagined that she would ever see anything like this…but she also surprised herself at how quickly she was able to adapt to the stressful conditions brought by constant combat.<em>

_Despite this, and despite the largely-successful mission record that Hinata had in this war, Hiashi never seemed satisfied. And, of course, wherever Hiashi was, there Hanabi was, as well. The biting remarks never seemed to cease from them; it was always, "you were just fortunate," or "I'm sure you contributed little to your team during the mission". Hinata, of course, being the gentle person that she was, said nothing in response, not wanting to create any additional conflict with her family. It would have been tolerable if she just saw the pair in passing, but it was almost as if they went out of their way to try to find her so that they could say something about her performance on any mission she undertook._

_This only served to create an additional problem: she was in the Allied Shinobi Forces' Second Division: the close-range fighters. Almost exclusively Taijutsu and Melee-Weapon Specialists, these were people that were generally known to be of rather aggressive temperament, and seeing Hinata not standing up for herself, particularly against two people who didn't have as successful a wartime record as she did, caused them to lose respect for her. Seeing her as weak, many of them also started to jeer the girl, much to Hiashi and Hanabi's satisfaction._

_There were some, however, such as Karui and Omoi of the Hidden Cloud, that stood up for her against such derision. They would be quick to point out Hinata's contributions to any mission she was involved in, and they also pointed out that Hinata did have a better mission record than either Hiashi or Hanabi did. She was glad that she developed such friendships, the irony not lost on her that they were from a village that the Hyuuga Clan hated. Of course, when Hinata thought about this, that might have added to the problems that she was having with her father and sister, especially considering they were being exposed as the hypocrites they were._

_Despite the setbacks, Hinata continued to persevere, performing her duties and executing her missions to the best of her abilities. She began to experience greater and greater success, bringing her family down on her that much more, again causing her fellows (once more, with the excepted few) to continue sneering down their noses at such a "weak and spineless coward". The greater success she was experiencing, however, prompted higher-level leadership in the Army to send her on more and more dangerous, combat-intensive missions, where she performed just as admirably. The increased strain and killing, however, even if it was just a bunch of clones of White Zetsu, started to take their toll on her._

_She could tell. Her thoughts were becoming darker, and her impulses were becoming less and less…"gentle". When her family would deride her, there were a few times when her Byakugan would activate unconsciously, reminding Hiashi of Hizashi's anger when he was watching him train Hinata shortly after her third birthday. Hinata could tell that Hiashi took note of this, but she couldn't tell just what his reaction was. Hanabi seemed to grow a bit nervous at Hinata's anger, but she remained by her father's side, constantly saying or doing anything that would gain her father's approval. This became the day-to-day occurrence in Hinata's life in camp, until Naruto arrived._

_When he appeared before her, she was thrilled! She could see the man she loved again, and she hoped that he would be assigned to her division. She wanted to see him and be able to draw in his strength and confidence as much as she possibly could. She was even more thrilled when Naruto had told her that he wanted to give a relationship with the violet-haired, lavender-eyed beauty an honest chance, telling her that he realized he and Sakura would never go anywhere, and that he wished he had seen what was right in front of him the entire time in Hinata._

_She and Naruto had finally gotten a chance to talk about what she had said to him when he was fighting Pein in Konoha. Naruto had admitted to falling in love with her as he thought more and more about this beautiful young woman that he could now see had been so supportive of him, both during the Academy and afterwards. Naruto, being who he was, threw his entire being into the relationship, with Hinata herself throwing just as much back in, though at times she found it hard due to the increasing darkening of her own moods because of the things that she'd had to see and do in this war. This didn't stop them from becoming closer to each other, though. Naruto now seemed to have eyes only for her, and seeing this enabled her to be able to completely ignore her father and sister._

_Things also seemed to get better still once Kurenai-sensei returned to the field, taking command of Team Kurenai when they were assembled for tracking and recon missions. This seemed to happen more and more, as Akatsuki were starting to become sneakier in their movements and strategy. Team Kurenai was the best tracking team in the entire Allied Shinobi army, which brought the team together more and more, despite the fact that Kiba, Shino and Kurenai were normally assigned to the Special Forces of the Fifth Division._

_Kurenai had also been present during some of Hiashi's and Hanabi's rants, and at times, even had to step in and warn them that if they didn't stop, she would report them for their actions and ensure that they would be disciplined for such conduct. When Kurenai hinted that the Raikage might revel in the idea of taking such action against a Hyuuga, Hiashi seemed to back off…for a while. Kurenai would then do all she could to comfort and lift the spirits of her surrogate daughter…but it only went so far. Only Naruto could truly lift her spirits completely. Kurenai did take note of this, and started using him as the example that she should follow, particularly now that he was Hinata's boyfriend._

_This worked for a while, but nothing could have prepared Hinata for what happened on that one mission…_

* * *

><p>Hinata really wasn't as cold and as hateful as she portrayed herself to be. Truth be told, this façade that she had adopted was the only way that worked for her to hide her own heartache. It was still there, and it was still fresh; she simply didn't show it publicly anymore. Sometimes, though, she even had to remind herself of this, and privately remembering past hurts helped her to at least feel somewhat humane, still. Remembering the mission where Shino and Hana were killed still brought tears to her eyes; she simply hid them well – she would go into her room and lock the door before any tears were shed. Fortunately for her, this was where she currently was, and the tears were beginning to flow…<p>

* * *

><p><em>Bloody and beaten, Kurenai and Hinata stumbled back into camp after a "successful" recon mission. The mission was to locate the base of operations for the main force of White Zetsu clones that had been harassing the Second Division while they had been on their way to different engagements. Team Kurenai did find their base of operations…they had to fight their way out of it after being ambushed and forced into it! During the fight, Shino Aburame, Hana Inuzuka and Hana's three companions, the Haimaru Triplets, had fallen in battle while fighting off the mass of Zetsu's that had surrounded them. Shino, draining them of their chakra with his insects, Hana using Inuzuka taijutsu to create an opening through which Kurenai and Hinata could escape and make their report to camp.<em>

_Realizing the importance of such a mission, Kurenai and Hinata honored their sacrifice and escaped as fast as they could, though they had been injured themselves. Hinata had to keep her Byakugan active in order to be able to find out if they were being followed by any of the Zetsu's. This had a very unpleasant side-effect: Hinata had to watch her comrades fall…and then had to watch Zetsu the Cannibal __**eating them all**__; a sight that would haunt her for the rest of her life. It hurt her that their bodies would never be recovered, and they couldn't be given proper burials._

_As they stumbled in, Naruto and Kiba were the first two on the scene. At the sight of both of them, Naruto grabbed Hinata in a bridal-style carry, while Kiba helped Kurenai get onto Akamaru's back so that they could be quickly taken to the med-tent. Once they were given a (relatively) clean bill of health by the medics on duty, Kiba raised the first question._

"_Kurenai-sensei, Hinata…" he waited before they both looked at him, unshed tears in both their eyes, causing Kiba to fear the worst, "…where are my sister and Shino?"_

_Hinata jumped up and ran to Naruto, clutching him for all he was worth, while burying her face in his chest, sobbing and wailing loudly. Naruto, not expecting such a reaction, just held her and stroked his fingers through her hair, allowing her to let the grief out that she was feeling. Kurenai herself was crying openly, a rare sight for her, indeed. Kiba moved in to give his other big-sister-figure a comforting hug, which she accepted without reservation._

_Kurenai had calmed down long before Hinata had. As Hinata was still sobbing loudly, both Kiba and Kurenai moved in to help Naruto in comforting Hinata, the three of them surrounding the hysterical girl in a group hug. Both of the girls seemed to draw strength from this, and Kiba and Naruto were only too happy to provide it. After Naruto had let go of Hinata, Akamaru moved in, licking Hinata's face, causing her to giggle as she nuzzled the big ninja hound affectionately._

_After she had finally calmed down, Kiba asked again, "Hinata…can you tell us what happened?"_

_As Hinata tried to find her voice, Kurenai interrupted, "Kiba…we witnessed probably the most horrifying thing we'll ever experience today. Why don't the two of you accompany us to the debriefing; that way we'll only have to say it once…OK?" her tone was calm, but the pleading in her eyes was not lost on either Kiba or Naruto._

_Kiba and Naruto simply looked at each other and nodded. Moments later, the four of them were before the Kage's, the Division Commanders and the Senior Generals of the Allied Shinobi Forces, with Kurenai and Hinata preparing to give their report of the mission. After being informed of the reason that Naruto and Kiba were with them, and told by Kurenai that she'd rather they both be present than not, they allowed Kiba and Naruto to remain._

"_Please proceed," Shikaku ordered._

"_Yes, sir," Kurenai responded in a subdued voice before beginning her briefing, "Our mission was to locate the Main Base of the Guerrilla Forces of Akatsuki that have been harassing our own troops on their way to zones of engagement. Putting our tracking skills to use, we did find their main base only to find ourselves in an ambush. We fought to get away and out of their camp, but we became overwhelmed on all sides. As we continued fighting, Shino Aburame was able to detect the sparsest area of Zetsu clones. He proceeded to use his kikaichu beetles to drain the chakra from the clones in the area where it would be easiest for us to break through their lines. Hana Inuzuka and her three ninja hounds assisted him by using her clan's techniques to create an opening through which Hinata and I could escape…"_

_Kurenai's voice began to falter for a moment as she took a breath and continued, "…Shino and Hana told the two of us that we had to make it back to camp, and told us to get out of there. We realized the importance of this mission, and of the intel that we had uncovered, so we chose to honor their sacrifice and bring the intel back here. Hinata used her Byakugan to keep an eye out for anyone who might be following us, and I'll allow her to take if from here."_

_Kurenai turned to her former student, "Hinata, are you up to reporting what you saw?"_

_Hinata looked at her for a moment, then turned to look at Kiba, and finally Naruto, keeping her gaze on the man she loved the longest. Naruto gave her a reassuring smile, letting her know that he was there to support her._

_Hinata closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again as she turned to the panel, "I saw that Shino, Hana and her partners…had fallen in combat…" Kiba's face fell at this, as had Naruto's own "…after which…the Zetsu's proceeded to…" Hinata's voice began to break once again. Feeling Naruto's comforting hand on her shoulder squeezing gently, she continued, "…he proceeded to…devour them…all!"_

_At this, she lost what semblance of control she had reacquired when she had cried into Naruto's chest. Naruto took the initiative to comfort her once more. It was the Raikage who spoke up next._

"_Thank you, Team Kurenai, for bringing this intel to us. Can you give us the location of the base, please? We have a strike force prepped and ready to take them out; your teammates will be avenged, and they won't have died in vain…thanks to you."_

_Kurenai nodded in gratitude; Hinata was still crying into Naruto's chest as he was gently trying to calm her down once more. Kiba was doing all he could to hold himself together after hearing of the gruesome manner in which Hana's and her companions' remains were treated._

"_You are all dismissed," said Tsunade before adding, "Please take a few days to rest and recuperate; we'll inform you of memorial service arrangements when they're all made."_

_They all nodded gratefully as they made their way out of the command tent. As soon as they were out, Kiba lost his composure, prompting Kurenai, Hinata and Naruto to all comfort him the same way they had all comforted Hinata just one short hour ago. The four of them proceeded to the mess tent, deciding that something to eat or drink would probably do them all some good. They were able to spend some time just eating lightly and mourning in their own ways. It was a time of solace for this little quartet; unfortunately, it was brought to an abrupt end by the arrival of two very angry Hyuugas: Hiashi and Hanabi, who both made a beeline for Hinata._

"_What is this I hear about letting your comrades die just to save yourself?" demanded an enraged Hiashi._

"_Back off, Hiashi," growled Kiba, followed by a growling Akamaru._

"_Nobody was talking to you, Inuzuka!" Hiashi retorted, "Stay out of my Clan's affairs! I need to deal with this failure of a kunoichi before she shames the Hyuuga name any further…"_

_He abruptly stopped when felt a very thick and oppressive killing intent directed at him. Looking up, he saw that it was coming from Naruto, who had activated his Sage Mode!_

_This time it was Naruto who spoke, "The man told you to back off! If you value your health, you'll do as he says!"_

_Naruto suppressed his killing intent, causing Hiashi to fall to his knees, breathing heavily and sweating profusely._

"_Father!" cried Hanabi in concern for Hiashi as she ran to his side, putting her hands on his shoulder._

"_Lord Hiashi," Kurenai began, getting the man's attention, "Hinata and I have been through hell, today: hell the likes of which I hope you never bear witness to. She didn't leave her teammates to die; her teammates essentially threw themselves into harm's way so that Hinata and I could get critical intelligence back to this camp."_

_Hiashi paled again when Kurenai released her own killing intent as she continued, "Don't you EVER mock Shino Aburame or Hana Inuzuka ever again by saying that it's Hinata's fault they're dead! They willingly gave their lives to make sure that Hinata and I could live!"_

_Kurenai suppressed her killing intent, releasing the oppression in the room. Hiashi glanced to each of their faces, taking in their glares, and briefly thinking that he may have been out of line. Hanabi, however, simply began to unload onto Hinata herself._

"_As father has said, you shame the Hyuuga name by allowing your comrades to fall on the field of battle…"_

"_SHUT UP, YOU SPOILED-ROTTEN, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING BRAT!" Hinata yelled, interrupting Hanabi, and following it up with a Gentle Fist palm strike to Hanabi's face, causing her to fly backwards and crumple to the floor. Hanabi whipped her head around, stunned and dumbfounded that her "sweet and gentle" sister would not only interrupt her, but strike her…and quite hard, too._

_Hiashi had a different reaction: he became enraged that Hinata would do such a thing. He got up, yelled at the top of his lungs and charged Hinata, drawing his hand back and sending chakra to it…only to double over and spit out blood as Naruto's fist had planted itself into his gut faster than he could even see. Naruto grabbed Hiashi by the throat and lifted him off his feet using one hand, choking the man._

_Hanabi, seeing Naruto manhandle her father, reached her hand out and cried, "STOP IT! PUT HIM DOWN!"_

_Naruto narrowed his Sage-Mode eyes at Hiashi and said to him in a low, ominous manner, "You listen to me. If I ever get wind of you harassing or attacking Hinata in this camp ever again…I'll END you! She's been on much harder and tougher missions than you or your other daughter. She's under enough stress as it is in this camp; she doesn't need a COWARD LIKE YOU giving her more trouble!"_

_Hiashi's eyes widened in shock and indignation at being called a coward. Naruto then looked Hiashi dead in the eye as he continued his tirade, "Yeah, that's right! YOU'RE A COWARD! Here you are, talking about how she's shaming your clan name, and you and Hanabi combined haven't done HALF as much as Hinata has for this army, OR to win this war! HYPOCRITE! HINATA DIDN'T JUST HAVE TO WATCH HER COMRADES DIE WHEN SHE WAS USING HER BYAKUGAN TO KEEP THE WHITE ZETSUS FROM FOLLOWING THEM! SHE HAD TO STOMACH WATCHING THEIR REMAINS BE __**EATEN**__ BY THEM AS WELL!"_

_Hiashi paled at this revelation. Hanabi just stayed on the ground and vomited, the physical image quite palpable in her mind's eye. Naruto threw Hiashi back with enough force to make him sail over Hanabi and land in a heap behind her._

"_Leave! NOW!" ordered Naruto, releasing his killing intent once more, this time at both father and youngest daughter. Hanabi ran out as fast as her legs would carry her, whilst Hiashi picked himself up and walked out in a dignified, yet brisk pace._

_Hinata closed her eyes and clenched her fists in anger, tears welling up and threatening to spill over yet again._

"_Naruto…" she heard Kurenai say, "…I'll take Hinata to get some rest. I want to talk to her, anyway."_

"_OK, Kurenai-sensei," she heard him respond, and then felt a hand on her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see those wonderful blue eyes that she loved so much, accompanied by that grin that always lifted her spirits and made her feel valued._

_He then kissed her, getting an almost immediate response. He pulled back and said, "You get some rest, OK? If you need me, I'll come running."_

_Hinata nodded, "Thank you, Naruto."_

_Naruto nodded back, turning to leave, Kiba getting the hint from Kurenai and following Naruto out, Akamaru walking alongside him._

_When she and Kurenai were alone, Kurenai wrapped her arms around the traumatized and tormented young woman. Hinata wrapped her own arms around her surrogate mother, crying into her bosom much the same way she had been crying into Naruto's chest._

"_Hinata, your father and sister were completely out of line. None of what they said was true," Kurenai said in a comforting manner._

"_I'm so sick of them, Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata cried in despair, "I'm sick of their smug self-righteousness; I can't take it anymore!" as she continued to sob._

"_I know it might seem that way…But please…remember Naruto…the way he's had to overcome great adversity just like you're having to do right now…"_

"_No, sensei," replied Hinata, her answer surprising the older woman, "I…I'm…not Naruto. I love his strength, but I'll never possess it! I'm not as strong as he is; he's so full of life and light; I'm not anymore! I can't be like him! I can't take what he can take! Sensei, I'm at my limit, now! I'm scared; I honestly don't know what I'll do if either of them comes at me, again! The truth is that I have half a mind to try to __**kill**__ them!"_

_Kurenai's eyes went wide at this admission. This was a much more serious problem than she had realized._

"_Hinata, we need to take this to Tsunade! I didn't realize that this issue between you and them has escalated to this degree!" Kurenai urged her, the worry and concern quite evident in her tone._

_Hinata shook her head, "No…please…no. I…I just want to forget about it for now. I…I don't want to talk about this anymore, sensei. I…" Hinata seemed to become tired all of a sudden, "…I just want some rest for now."_

_Kurenai sighed and nodded. She simply stood up, helped Hinata to her feet, and walked her out of the mess tent with her arm around her shoulders. She walked Hinata back to her tent, hugged her goodbye, and then left for her own tent to get some much-needed rest herself…_

* * *

><p>Hinata remembered then that she had been told Kiba had reported Hiashi and Hanabi's behavior to the Hokage. Apparently, he believed it to be necessary to deal with Hiashi and Hanabi before Hinata ended up doing something dangerous. Looking back on it, now, even though she'd never admit it out loud, Kiba was right to be concerned; she might have killed one of them in camp if things had continued the way they were.<p>

She began to replay the events of that fateful meeting in her mind…

* * *

><p><em>Hinata, Hiashi, Hanabi, Kiba, Akamaru and Naruto were all standing at att<em>_ention before a furious Tsunade. She simply walked by them all, one by one, looking them in the eye with a cold angry glare. Hanabi was the only one to flinch under her gaze. Hinata, Hiashi and Naruto were all convinced that they were in the right. Kiba, not having gotten directly involved, knew that he had nothing to worry about, and was here primarily to act as an eyewitness. Akamaru couldn't help but let out a light, nervous whine._

_After Tsunade had finished her walk-by, she returned to her previous position, two or three yards in front of them all. After a few moments pause, she ordered with cold, quiet anger, "Hiashi Hyuuga. Explain. Now."_

_Hiashi obeyed the order, "Lady Hokage, after listening to the report by Jounin Kurenai Yuhi about Chunin Hinata Hyuuga's performance on her latest mission, I felt obligated to correct Chunin Hyuuga's mistakes. I sought her out to do so, and when I attempted to correct her errors, Naruto Uzumaki and her commanding officer Kurenai Yuhi proceeded to argue with me. As I could not seem to correct her failings without being verbally assaulted, my younger daughter sought to do so, which prompted Chunin Hyuuga to strike her, as you can see by the bruise on her face. When I attempted to intervene on my daughter's behalf, Genin Naruto Uzumaki struck me in the stomach, effectively incapacitating me. Genin Uzumaki then proceeded to threaten me to keep my distance from Chunin Hyuuga."_

_Hinata felt Naruto's hand take her own as Hiashi gave his "report". The complete lack of any affectionate form of address for Hinata, and the blatant terms of endearment that he was using in reference to Hanabi was not lost on him, apparently. Given the angry look on Tsunade's face when Hiashi referred to Hinata and Hanabi, it wasn't lost on her, either. Angry tears came to Hinata's eyes as she grit her teeth._

_Tsunade then looked to Hinata to get her side of the story. Upon seeing the state that Hinata was in, and hearing what sounded like a snort of disgust coming from Hanabi's direction, she glared at Hanabi, who shrank beneath the formidable blonde's gaze. Tsunade decided to get the missing pieces of the story from Kiba; he was the one who reported this incident, after all._

"_Kiba, you were present for the entirety of this altercation, correct?"_

"_Yes, ma'am"_

"_What is your opinion of Hiashi's report?"_

"_Permission to speak freely, Lady Hokage?"_

_This surprised everyone present, including Tsunade. After a few moments consideration, Tsunade answered, "Granted."_

"_Frankly, Hiashi's report is a complete hack job…" Kiba began before being interrupted by Hanabi._

"_How dare you call my father's integrity into question!"_

_Akamaru growled and snarled at the impertinent girl, while Tsunade turned to Hanabi, "YOU WILL NOT SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO, AND YOU WILL NOT ADDRESS OR INTERRUPT YOUR SUPERIORS IN SUCH A MANNER AGAIN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, __**GENIN HANABI HYUUGA?**__"_

_Hanabi trembled at Tsunade's rebuke with a quivering lip, unable to respond._

_Tsunade added, "One more step out of line like that, and I will send you to Ibiki Morino to be disciplined. Understand?"_

_Hiashi's stone visage broke for a moment as he became somewhat fearful for his youngest daughter. Hanabi's own fear could be felt throughout the room. She quickly nodded, and visibly relaxed when Tsunade returned her attention to Kiba._

"_Kiba, could you give me your recollection of events, please? You still have permission to speak freely."_

"_Yes, ma'am. Naruto and I saw that Team Kurenai, or at least, half of Team Kurenai, had returned from their latest mission. They informed me that Shino Aburame and…" he hesitated almost unnoticeably, bringing the discipline that this war had drilled into him to finish his own recollection, "…Hana Inuzuka and her canine partners had fallen in battle…because the team was ambushed. I found out when they reported to you that their remains were unable to be recovered...because Zetsu had eaten them."_

_Kiba then proceeded to give the rest of his report to Tsunade, detailing all of the events and words exchanged from both sides, including Hiashi's and Hanabi's insults to Hinata about being worthless and bringing disgrace to the Hyuuga Clan by allowing her teammates to die on the field. After listening to Kiba's report, She turned back to Hiashi._

"_Hiashi, is there anything in Kiba's report that you wish to dispute?"_

_Hiashi narrowed his eyes as he gave a tight sigh to repress his anger, "No, Lady Tsunade."_

_Tsunade then turned to Hinata and Naruto, "Naruto, Hinata, is there anything in Kiba's report that either of you wish to dispute?"_

"_No ma'am," both of them responded in unison._

_Tsunade nodded, then continued, "Very well, then. Kiba's report will be considered the official report for this incident, and it is his report that will go onto all of your records. Now, to take care of a couple of things. Kiba?" _

"_Yes, ma'am?"_

"_Would you please retrieve Kurenai Yuhi, Kitsuchi, and Darui and bring them here?"_

"_Right away, Lady Tsunade!" responded Kiba as he and Akamaru vanished, beginning their search._

_Hiashi showed no outward change, but Hinata could see a little bit of sweat begin to form upon his forehead. Hanabi continued to look genuinely frightened, as though this were the first time she'd ever been in any kind of trouble._

'_Probably is,' thought Hinata bitterly._

_After a few moments, the three jounin that Tsunade had just summoned were escorted in by Kiba. All three came to attention as they stood before the blonde Hokage._

_Tsunade addressed the three newcomers, "Are you all aware of the recent altercation between the individuals standing here?"_

"_Yes, ma'am," they replied in unison._

_Tsunade continued, "For the record, have the three of you attempted to deal with this particular issue, and if so, what steps have been taken? Kurenai, you first."_

"_Yes, milady. When I first saw Hiashi berating Hinata without sufficient cause, I stepped in and dismissed Hinata, keeping Hiashi behind in order to speak with him. I instructed and warned him that if he had __**valid**__ concerns…" Hinata noted her emphasis on the word 'valid', "…concerning Hinata's mission and battlefield performance, then he needed to address them through the proper chain of command. His response to me was to essentially order me not to interfere in 'his clan's affairs'. I then proceeded to inform him that Hinata at that point in time was a soldier under my command, and therefore his harassment of my subordinates __**was**__ my business. I informed him again of the need to operate under the already-established chain of command and to deal with concerns such as this through Hinata's commanding officer. He bowed and left, giving me the impression that he had listened to my instructions and would act accordingly._

"_A week later, my team and I had returned from another recon mission, and on our way to give our report to Shikaku Nara, we were intercepted by Hiashi and Hanabi, here…" Kurenai indicated Hiashi and Hanabi with her hand before continuing._

"_Hiashi asked if he could have a word with Hinata. I looked at her to get her opinion, and she nodded her head, though I thought that she should rest, first. I declined Hiashi's request and brought my team with me to give our report. After that, I instructed my team to get some rest, and I made the point to Hinata that she was to get some rest, and avoid what I believed would become yet another confrontation that she does not need to deal with in this camp._

"_After we parted company, I thought to trail Hinata to make sure that her father and sister did not try to berate an already-tired kunoichi that had just gotten back from a high-stress mission. My suspicions concerning Hiashi's intentions proved to be correct, as I saw Hiashi and Hanabi quickly approach Hinata with none of the civility that they had approached with when I was present. Hiashi proceeded to…interrogate her, for lack of a better word…about her mission. She gave the details, and he simply berated her once more, making insinuations that she likely didn't contribute anything to the mission and that she probably failed in her duties. It was here that I stepped in once more._

"_I informed Hiashi that if he committed such an act once more, that I would get Kitsuchi, Darui, yourself, and the Raikage involved if I had to, and I would see to it that he is disciplined appropriately for his actions. He glared at me, glared at Hinata and told her, and I quote, 'This isn't over', to which I told him, 'Yes it is'. He then walked off, Hanabi following. I caught up with him and I escorted him to Darui, where I proceeded to inform him of what Hiashi and Hanabi were doing to one of my soldiers."_

_Tsunade turned to Darui, "Did you take steps to rectify this based on what Kurenai informed you?"_

_Darui responded, "I did. I informed these two that if I were to hear of such a situation occurring again, I would deal with them myself. I then gave them both two weeks' worth of latrine duty as punishment for breaking the chain of command."_

_Tsunade smirked as she saw the unconscious grimaces on Hiashi's and Hanabi's faces. Hinata tried to hold back a laugh, but a quiet snicker did escape. Naruto just laughed outright._

_Tsunade then turned to Kitsuchi, "Can I have your opinion on Hinata's performance as one of the soldiers in your division?"_

_Kitsuchi nodded and began, "Chunin Hinata Hyuuga has been an exemplary soldier in my opinion. I find Hiashi's and Hanabi's derision of her abilities and of her character to be completely groundless, even to the point of slander."_

_Hiashi widened his eyes in shock and anger at such a claim. Hanabi seemed to respond in a similar way, though hers was buffered by the fear she was feeling._

_Kitsuchi continued his assessment, "Frankly, I find their accusations that Hinata is 'shaming their clan' to be…puzzling at best, and outright cowardly at worst…" Hiashi quietly growled in anger at this, Hanabi becoming even more frightened at the prospect of getting into trouble, "…as I personally think that, if anything, Hinata's performance is bringing great credit and honor to her family name; I hear the talk, and outside of my division and the people she's around the most, she's the most talked-about Hyuuga among the troops…in a very good way, I might add. If it were my decision, I would recommend that both Hiashi and Hanabi Hyuuga be brought up on charges of insubordination, and maybe even sedition."_

"_Now wait just a minute…" Hiashi began, only to be cut off by Tsunade._

"_SHUT UP, HIASHI!"_

_Hiashi turned to Tsunade, "But Lady Tsunade…"_

_Tsunade cut him off once more, even louder this time, "I SAID SHUT UP! OR I WILL BRING THE TWO OF YOU UP ON BOTH CHARGES RIGHT THIS MINUTE AND SEE YOU AND YOUR SPOILED-BRAT DAUGHTER PUBLICALLY EXECUTED FOR SEDITION, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"_

_Hiashi paled at her threat. Hanabi began to cry in fear. Hinata simply stood there with her eyes closed, not knowing what to feel, and wishing that this meeting would end._

"_Y-yes, m-milady…" Hiashi answered in a much more submissive tone than Hinata could ever remember him using._

_Turning back to Kurenai, Darui, and Kitsuchi, Tsunade said, "Thank you all for your time. You're dismissed."_

_All three of them snapped to attention once more, smartly, turned on their heels and left._

_Tsunade then rounded on Hiashi, "Just what the hell is your problem, Hyuuga?"_

_Hiashi couldn't find the words to answer her. He began to stutter in an attempt to find his voice, but he found his Hokage's killing intent too thick to overcome. She continued, "Hinata just lost two comrades on a mission…to CANNIBALISM of all things…and THE FIRST THING THAT YOU AND YOUR SPOILED-ROTTEN BRAT DO WHEN SHE GETS BACK IS INSULT AND DEMEAN HER? WHAT THE HELL KIND OF A FATHER ARE YOU?"_

_Hiashi continued to stutter and spit. Tsunade, seeing that he wasn't going to speak anytime soon, continued to humble the man, "You listen to me, and you listen good! Here, you are __**NOT**__ LORD Hyuuga! You are __**JOUNIN**__ Hyuuga! You are a SOLDIER under MY command! YOU ARE A SOLDIER UNDER DARUI'S COMMAND! YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN ANY OTHER SOLDIER UNDER DARUI'S OR MY COMMAND! YOU HAVE NO CLAN BUSINESS WITH HINATA, HERE! AND __**YOU!**__"_

_Tsunade immediately turned on Hanabi, grabbed the front of her robes in one fist and lifted her into the air to her eye-level, terrifying the girl and causing Hiashi to take an unconscious step backwards while gawking._

"_YOU ARE A __**GENIN!**__ UNDERSTAND? I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR FAMILY NAME IS, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR PERSONAL FEELINGS ARE TOWARDS YOUR SISTER, I DON'T CARE WHY YOU FEEL THE WAY YOU DO TOWARDS HER! HERE, SHE IS YOUR SUPERIOR IN RANK, AND YOU WILL HONOR THAT AND TREAT HER WITH THE RESPECT DUE A SUPERIOR! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"_

_Hanabi nodded as best she could in her current position, silent tears falling down her face. Tsunade flung her backwards several yards, causing her to crumple into a heap while she recoiled and tried to run. She stopped at the sound of Tsunade's voice._

"_I HAVEN'T DISMISSED YOU YET! GET BACK HERE!"_

_Hanabi came to attention before Tsunade, silent tears still streaming down her face._

_Tsunade lowered the timber of her voice before addressing both Hiashi and Hanabi one last time, "If I ever hear of something like this happening ever again, and it is NOT legitimate clan business that you are discussing…I will bring you both up on sedition charges for trying to create strife and unrest in this camp, and when you are found guilty in court martial, I will see to it that you both are either imprisoned or hanged!"_

_Both of them balked and paled at this: hanging was the most humiliating method of execution that a shinobi could suffer, as after the body was dead, it was left hanging there to serve as an example and as a warning to others not to commit the same crime that they did. It was clear that Tsunade wasn't messing around._

_Tsunade finished, "Is there some part of this that either of you don't understand?"_

_Hiashi recaptured his stony expression and responded, "We understand perfectly, milady."_

_Tsunade cocked an eyebrow at Hanabi, expecting an answer. Hanabi got the hint and responded, "I understand, milady."_

_Tsunade turned to Naruto and Hinata, "Naruto, Hinata, please come directly to me if anything like this ever happens again. For the time being, I want you both to grieve your fallen comrades, and then take a two-week furlough…" and with a smile, she added, "I hear the Land of Waves is booming right now, and is a lovely place to vacation."_

_Naruto and Hinata nodded, still at attention. They left as Tsunade dismissed them, leaving her father and sister alone with their Hokage…_

* * *

><p>Hinata still found herself sighing wistfully when she remembered those two weeks in the Land of Waves. It was during that furlough that Naruto and Hinata had given their virginity to each other…and also spent every night making love. It was like a honeymoon! She remembered wishing that it would never end. But when she remembered those two weeks, she also couldn't help but think of the events that followed when they had returned back to the front…<p>

* * *

><p><em>Hinata just sat there in the medical tent, mouth agape, staring into space. Shizune had just completed a physical on her after she was complaining of nausea every single morning, sometimes being overcome by it and vomiting. She was completely bewildered; every worst-case scenario she could imagine was running through her head.<em>

"_Pregnant?" she repeated what had just been told to her in shock, quickly becoming scared._

"_I'm afraid so, Hinata," answered Shizune, "Did you use contraceptive ninjutsu?"_

"_Yes! Every time!" she answered in a forceful tone brought on by fear. How could this happen? She had been taught in the Academy that this jutsu had a 100% success rate of preventing conception; it was designed so that kunoichi who had the misfortune of being captured or overpowered by enemy shinobi in the field could either prevent a pregnancy from occurring or cause the fetus to abort itself as far as two months out from the day of conception._

_Shizune, knowing this as well, put a comforting hand on Hinata's shoulder in an effort to calm the frightened young Chunin, "Hinata, you can't be any more than five weeks along. Why don't you perform the jutsu now, just in case something went wrong the last time you did it, OK?"_

_Hinata just nodded and, going through the hand-seals and molding her chakra in the exact amount and quantity required, she performed the jutsu…only for nothing to happen. Shizune began to worry. Apparently, she had never encountered a scenario where the jutsu failed when properly executed. It was also evident to the woman that this frightened young girl was not ready to be a parent, particularly not during a time of war._

_Shizune, maintaining her "doctor's face", came to Hinata's side and attempted to calm and comfort her once more before giving further instructions, "OK, Hinata, here's what we're going to do. I want to run a few diagnostics to see if we can figure out what's going on with you. I've never seen this jutsu fail, and I really want to find out why it did."_

_Hinata bit her lower lip and nodded once more. She lay back on the gurney while Shizune ran every and any test she could think of…only to learn nothing. She instructed Hinata to wait in her "room" while she went to find the senior medical officers from the other hidden villages to see if they had ever seen anything like this happen before. A few minutes later, Shizune returned to the tent with another medic in tow, a middle-aged man with brown skin and blondish-white hair, indicating that he was a native to Kumo._

_He smiled gently at the young Hyuuga and began to address her, "Hello, Ms. Hyuuga. My name is Ukita. Shizune here tells me that you're between four and six weeks pregnant, despite perfectly executing contraceptive ninjutsu, is that right?"_

"_Yes, sir. That's correct," Hinata replied, hoping that this man had an answer as to what could have happened._

_Ukita nodded and walked over to Hinata, "OK. I want to run a few diagnostics, myself, and if what I suspect is correct, we'll need to provide you with some options and additional medical care. May I?" he asked, as he gestured to her to lay back down._

"_Of course," Hinata replied as she obeyed the medic._

_Once she was in a prone position, he began performing some diagnostic jutsus using handsign sequences that she had never before seen done in Konoha. After a few moments of intense concentration, he opened his eyes and nodded._

_Ukita turned to Shizune, "Shizune, can you come over here, please?"_

_Shizune approached, and Ukita proceeded to show her how to perform the scan that he had just finished. Shizune did as instructed and started concentrating herself._

"_Now, Shizune," Ukita began, "Tell me what you are able to determine."_

"_I can sense trace amounts of youki in the fetus," she answered._

"_Correct," Ukita confirmed, "The contraceptive jutsu is 100% effective except in cases where impregnation was caused by a male Jinchuriki."_

_Shizune frowned in surprise at this. Ukita continued, "This is something we've known for a little while, now. The exact same thing happened to Killer Bee when he was younger. The scan I just taught you was one that we created in order to tell us this information. The mother died in the line of duty before being given medical leave, sadly._

_Ukita shook his head and looked Hinata dead in the eye, "What happens is that a tailed-beast's youki becomes laced within every organ in the body, which means that it's also laced into every cell, chemical or any other substance that those organs produce…including sperm cells. The youki-laced sperm cells are able to overpower the contraceptive jutsu, effectively causing it to fail. The stronger the tailed-beast, the greater the chance of the jutsu failing."_

_Shizune asked a question that had been gnawing at her since he began his explanation, "Ukita, you mentioned that it's only a male Jinchuriki that can create this situation. What about female Jinchuriki?"_

"_Well…" Ukita began, "…we're not sure about female Jinchuriki who aren't in sync with their tailed-beast, but if she is, then she can essentially choose whether or not to abort the fetus, and the tailed-beast will respond accordingly. That's what we were able to learn from Yugito Nii, anyway."_

"_Hmm…I see," responded Shizune thoughtfully, "Thank you, Ukita."_

"_My pleasure," he responded before turning to Hinata, "You're going to be alright, child. You just hang in there, OK?"_

_Hinata sat up and nodded her thanks to the man, who left the two women alone. Shizune, seeing that Hinata was still frightened and worried, turned to comfort and calm her once more, "Hinata, you don't have to make a decision as to what to do right this second, OK? The fetus can be aborted as much as four months into the pregnancy, or after the seventh month."_

_Hinata just nodded, worry still evident in her eyes and across her features._

_Shizune, deciding that it was time to be a friend instead of a doctor, asked her, "Hinata, what are you worried about?"_

_Hinata looked at the woman in surprise at first, but seeing the caring expression on Shizune's face, she knew why she was asking the question: she was wondering if there were any reasons beyond the obvious._

_Tears began to well up in Hinata's eyes as she answered the woman, "I'm worried about so many things, Shizune. I'm worried about how Naruto will react when he finds out he's going to be a father. I'm worried about any stunts my family will try to pull, because my pregnancy is clan business, so my father has a right to approach me about this matter._

"_And what if something happens to Naruto or me in the meantime? We're in a warzone, and we'll be at war for kami only knows how long; it could end tomorrow, it could drag on for ten years! Kurenai-sensei lost her baby in a battle; what if something like that happens to me?"_

_The tears flowed more and more as Hinata was overcome by fear and worry. Shizune smiled and hugged her comfortingly in an effort to reassure her, "Hinata, it's going to be OK. Knowing Naruto as well as I do, I think he'll be so happy with the idea of being a father that he'll be beside himself! We'll do all we can to protect you and that baby in there…and you also have one of the most powerful men in the world in your corner; one who has a vested interest in making sure that the mother of his son or daughter stays safe and healthy."_

_Hinata pulled out of the hug to see Shizune's reassuring smile. She sniffled and smiled in return at the woman. After receiving some instructions for basic care of herself, and setting up weekly check-ups so that she could make sure that both she and her child were doing OK, she thanked Shizune and went on her way._

_Searching his regular haunts, Hinata found Naruto. Pulling him aside, she informed him of the news. True to Shizune's prediction, after he got over the shock of her contraceptive jutsu failing and the reason for it, he was beside himself with joy. He even brought up the idea of marriage to her, and they started to talk about making plans when they could sit down for any length of time. Seeing Naruto's reaction, and his joy, brought her great comfort and security. Hinata had asked him to remain quiet about the pregnancy for now, and that she would inform those that she trusted about it…or those who needed to know._

'_Thankfully, my family doesn't need to know until it affects my ability to perform my duties,' she thought to herself, relieved that she could put off telling Hiashi for now._

_She couldn't inform Kurenai, as she had been temporarily reassigned to another camp that was in need of someone with her skills. Kiba was informed, and had agreed to keep quiet about it. Neji was also informed, and he agreed not to tell Hiashi or Hanabi, even if asked directly. For about a month, this was how things continued, until Hiashi confronted her once more, even if it was in a civil manner._

_Hiashi, once more with Hanabi in tow, caught her attention, "Hinata…may I have a brief word, please?"_

_Hinata looked at the man and narrowed her eyes at him and asked suspiciously, "Why? What's this about?"_

_Hiashi looked a bit stricken at the question before he schooled his features and asked her what he wanted to know, "Hanabi tells me that she's seen you entering the medical tent at least once a week for the past month or so. Is there anything that I should be concerned about?"_

_Hinata looked at Hanabi and glared at her. She simply smirked back at the "hypochondriac" as she liked to call Hinata, given the many times Hanabi had beaten her in "spars" to the point where Hinata required bedrest and medical attention. Hinata released some killing intent at her little sister, who gaped in response; Hinata had never done that before, and she was satisfied to see that Hanabi was shocked, and a little nervous, at what Hinata had just done. Hiashi, too, seemed surprised, but hid it better._

_Hinata returned her gaze to Hiashi and proceeded to answer his question, "If it was a matter that concerned either of you, I would have let you know. If it becomes a matter that concerns either of you, I will let you know. As of now, it is not your concern, and I frankly don't trust either of you enough to let you know anything about the matter. Hanabi, please stay out of my business from now on. Good day."_

_Hiashi was even more stricken at Hinata's coldness, as well as her straightforward and direct admission of her lack of trust in the man and her younger sister. Hanabi didn't know what to make of it, either. She was offended and angered at Hinata's disrespect towards their father and herself, but she was also a bit hurt as well; she didn't exactly know why._

_Another month or so afterwards, it became clear that Hinata needed to leave the field. She started showing early, which caused another confrontation between Hinata and Hiashi, this time with the Hokage and Shizune present, and Hanabi thankfully absent._

"_Hinata, are you pregnant, yes or no?" Hiashi demanded in an angry tone._

_Hinata looked at her father defiantly, "Yes, I am. Naruto Uzumaki is the father, and we've been discussing marriage plans if you must know."_

"_Why did you not inform me of your pregnancy?" Hiashi demanded, "The fact that you are carrying my grandchild makes this clan business, and as your father, I would have wanted to ensure that you and your child were kept safe…"_

"_Since when did you ever care about MY safety?" Hinata interrupted him with an angry snarl._

"_Hinata, that's enough," said Tsunade, "you two may not be on the best terms right now, but he is still your superior; please respect protocol."_

"_My apologies, Lady Hokage," she bowed to Tsunade before turning to her father, "And to you…Jounin Hyuuga…for disregarding your rank."_

_Hiashi's expression didn't change. He continued to forcefully interrogate Hinata, "Why would you not inform me of something like this? And __**marriage plans**__? Was I just supposed to wake up one day and find out about this second-hand? You had no right to keep this from me!"_

"_I had every right!" Hinata replied, just as angry, but taking care not to step out of line for the sake of protocol within camp, "This has only now become your concern because it's only now beginning to pose a problem for me performing my duties! With all due respect, Jounin Hyuuga, as I told you a month ago, you've given me no reason to trust you, and every reason not to! Why would I inform you of something like this, given the nature of your feelings towards me? If anything, I'd have reason to believe that you and your daughter…" her address of both him and her sister was not lost on Hiashi; she was speaking as though she had no familial relation to them, "…might mean me harm, and go so far as to hurt me and my child!"_

_Hiashi, now seething, looked Hinata square in the eye, his gaze colder than even she had ever seen, giving her an unconscious shiver as he addressed her, "Hinata Hyuuga, you will be returned to Konoha tomorrow and confined to the Hyuuga Compound so that you can carry my grandchild to term safely."_

_Hinata was now glaring just as coldly at her father as he was at her. Hiashi, after the momentary pause, added, "Hopefully, my grandchild won't be the disappointment you are when I raise him or her correctly."_

_Hinata's eyes widened at this. Her first impulse was to protect her child from this monster of a man at all costs, and there was no way she would allow him to take her child from her; she'd rather die than give this man the satisfaction of taking her child from her._

_Hiashi finished, "As the Head of Clan Hyuuga, I declare this decision final. Good day. Get packed," and with this, Hiashi turned on his heel and left._

_Hinata's mind started to whirl. Her father would have the backing of the entire Hyuuga Clan, and even if he didn't, he could just order Branch members to take the child when it was born and bar Hinata access to him or her. There had to be something she could do to stop this. There was no way she would let that man win!_

_Then it struck her. She was young; Naruto was young. They could have other children after the war was over! Right now, she was needed more, here! She had been performing her duties admirably, and was on her way to the rank of Jounin. She needed to be a kunoichi right now, not a mother! And there was NO WAY that she would allow her father to do what he had planned to do!_

"_Shizune," she said coldly, showing she meant business._

_Shizune turned to her, a bit surprised at her tone, "Yes, Hinata?"_

"_I want to abort."_

_Shizune's eyes widened in shock at Hinata's request, "You WHAT?"_

"_I want to abort. And I want to abort tonight. I'm not going home."_

_Shizune began to sputter, unable to find the words to say. Tsunade intervened, "Chunin Hyuuga, that is your right to make such a request, and considering that this was an unplanned pregnancy, I would normally understand making such a request. But…have you thought about what this will do to Naruto? Have you thought about what this will do to your relationship with him?"_

_Hinata's steely gaze lost none of its coldness, "That doesn't matter right now. I feel that I'm needed more here. And if I carry this child to term, my father will simply take it from me anyway. I want to abort, and I want to abort tonight."_

_Tsunade closed her eyes and sighed, "Very well. Shizune…"_

"_No, milady…I'm sorry," Shizune interrupted, her own jaw set firmly as she held a steely gaze of her own, "If she wants to abort this child, that's her right, but I absolutely will not be the one to perform the procedure."_

_Hinata turned to glare at Shizune, "But you said I could abort between the fourth and seventh month."_

_Shizune turned to her and responded, "Yes, I did, because as a doctor, I am ethically bound to tell you what your options are. But if you want to do this without talking to Naruto about it, then I will not be a party to this."_

_Tsunade simply nodded, "Very well, then. Hinata, report to the medical tent and find a medical ninja who'll do this for you."_

_Hinata bowed in response, "Thank you, Lady Tsunade," and with one final glare at Shizune she left for the medical tent without diverting in any other direction…_

* * *

><p><em>Hinata awoke the following day, the light within the tent subdued enough that it didn't hurt her eyes too badly when she opened them. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. As she tried to sit up, she felt a dull ache in her abdomen, causing her to wince. She looked down to where the pain was originating from, only to see that it was covered in a hospital gown.<em>

'_That's right,' she remembered, 'I came here to abort my baby.'_

_She took a few more glances around, trying to see if Ukita, the Kumo medical ninja who she had formed a bond with and who had performed the abortion, was on duty. Seeing that he was, she called out his name in a voice that was not as loud as she would have liked it to be. It was loud enough, however, as the man in question turned to Hinata and smiled._

_He walked over to her bedside and took her hand, "How do you feel?"_

"_A little groggy…sore…but other than that, I feel fine," she responded weakly._

_Ukita nodded, "That's to be expected. We'll use some medical ninjutsu to accelerate your healing and you should be up and about again in two or three days."_

"_Thank you, Ukita…for doing this for me."_

_He closed his eyes and nodded, "You're welcome, child. Now, if you'll excuse me, I do have to make a few rounds and look in on a few additional patients. You just rest for now."_

_Hinata nodded and closed her eyes, allowing sleep to overtake her once more. When she next woke up, there were Hiashi and Hanabi at her bedside…Hiashi looked anguished; Hanabi looked to be…horrified?_

"_Why?" asked Hiashi quietly, not bothering to elaborate._

"_Please just go away," Hinata responded tiredly, yet still able to add a cold edge to her words._

"_Why, Hinata?" Hiashi asked again, with no more energy than before._

_Hinata forced herself to full alertness as she turned a cold angry glare on her father, "Do you really want to know?"_

_Hiashi said firmly, "Yes."_

_Hinata narrowed her eyes at him and started, "After everything you've ever said to me and done to me all my life, you have the gall to ask me why I aborted my baby? After telling me that you had every intent of taking my child and raising it yourself, you have the __**gall**__ to ask me __**why**__?"_

_She watched Hiashi seem to shrink as she continued her tirade, "After the constant abuse to which you have subjected me…you have the __**AUDACITY TO ASK ME WHY?**__ FINE, THEN! THE REASON I ABORTED MY BABY IS BECAUSE I HATE YOUR GUTS! YOU'RE AN EVIL MONSTER…" Hiashi paled and flinched at being called this; Hanabi was shocked, and looking to her father, she appeared to wonder what could cause him to react in such a way instead of getting angry, "…AND I WILL NOT LET YOU __CORRUPT OR DEFILE ANY CHILD THAT COMES FROM MY BODY! I WILL NOT LET YOU TURN ANY OF MY CHILDREN INTO MINIATURE VERSIONS OF YOU; THEY'RE BETTER OFF DEAD THAN BEING RAISED UNDER YOUR INFLUENCE! YOU'D EITHER DO TO THEM WHAT YOU DID TO ME OR YOU'D TURN MY CHILDREN INTO WHAT I HATE THE MOST: __**YOU!**__"_

_Hinata was shedding tears of anger at this point. Hiashi was just stunned…and even in that stony exterior, there seemed to be a hint of a heart, there; she could see the pain and guilt in his eyes. That hint, however, was quickly buried as he reschooled his features into the cold, stony frown that she was most familiar with._

_Hiashi finally spoke up, coldly and evenly, "I am naming Hanabi as the Heir to the Hyuuga Clan…"_

"_Oh no you don't," Hinata cut him off, her own cold voice seething with anger, "If she wants to be the heir, she'll have to face me in a duel for it!"_

_Hiashi's eyebrows came together as he hardened his gaze even further, "She will have every right to kill you."_

"_I'll have the exact same right…won't I?" Hinata retorted with a dark, smug scowl._

_Hanabi just looked back and forth between the two, not understanding what was going on. Afraid to see just how much further this would go, Hanabi tugger on her father's sleeve, "Father, please, this is getting out of hand. Let's just leave Hinata here to rest," she turned an angry and hurt glare on Hinata, who just snorted and turned her head away in disgust._

_Hiashi led his daughter out of the room, stopping at the exit. Turning his head to Hinata, he warned, "Prepare yourself, Hinata. One month after we return to Konoha, once this war is won, you and Hanabi will duel for the right to lead the Hyuuga Clan, with myself and the Hyuuga Elders as witnesses."_

"_It's not me you should worry about...__**father**__," she spat out the word as though it was the single most vile word she had ever had the displeasure to utter._

_Hiashi continued on his way. Hanabi looked back at her sister, a look of shock and surprise on her face, as if she really didn't know why Hinata would say such terrible things about them. She turned and left to catch up with her father._

_Hinata laid back down once more, but her anger prolonged the arrival of sleep's restful bliss. When she woke up once again, she was greeted this time by the sight of Naruto at the side of the bed. She smiled upon seeing him, until she noticed that his cheeks were puffy and his eyes bloodshot, indicating that he'd been crying…hard._

_Her expression became one of concern, "Naruto…what's the matter?"_

"_Hinata…" he began, sniffling and gasping, causing her concern to grow. She tried to reach a hand out to him in an attempt to comfort him, only to watch him recoil and back away. Her concern grew into worry at his reaction._

"_Naruto…" she began._

"_Is it true?" Naruto asked desperately, cutting her off, "Did you abort our baby?"_

_Hinata looked at him, frowning once more as she began to explain herself, "I did."_

_Naruto clenched his eyes shut and began to weep. After a few moments' pause, Hinata continued to explain herself, "My father told me that I was to be sent back home, and that he would take the baby from me when it was born. That would have meant that I would be unable to see my child, and if that man was the main figure of influence in our child's life, it would have grown up to be a monster…"_

"_I WOULDN'T HAVE LET THAT HAPPEN!" Naruto cut her off again, this time yelling at the top of his lungs. He opened his eyes, his gaze burning with red-hot fury, "DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE LET THEM TAKE OUR SON OR DAUGHTER FROM US?"_

"_Naruto, you don't know my father!" Hinata began to defend herself before trying to take a different tack, "Listen to me. We're still young. Once this war is over, we'll have plenty of time to have other children without the worry of possible interference from my father or the Hyuuga Clan. Besides, it's not like we're married, yet, anyway…"_

_This proved to be the wrong thing to say. Naruto just gaped at her, growing angrier by the second. Forcing himself to calm down, his anger subsided, leaving only the heartbreak that he was experiencing._

_He stood up, and with the most serious gaze she had ever seen on him, he said four words that completely shattered her world, "I'm done with you."_

"_WHAT?" she asked in fear and shock, "NARUTO, WAIT! DON'T BREAK UP WITH ME! NOT OVER SOMETHING LIKE THIS! PLEASE…"_

_He turned to regard her and asked the same question Hiashi did, just as coldly, "Why did you do it?"_

"_Because I will not let my father raise any child of mine into a monster!"_

_Naruto just stared at her in disbelief, "You didn't even consider my feelings…did you?"_

_Hinata just pressed on, "Please…Naruto…don't do this…"_

"_I'm sorry, Hinata…I can't, and I won't, stay with a woman who would kill my child in such a way and not even think about how I'd feel. Goodbye," and with that he walked out, not even looking back._

_Hinata looked at the spot where he exited the tent, unable to believe what had just happened. Before she could scream in anguish, she grew light-headed and passed out. When she came to, she found that she didn't have the energy to scream…all she could do was lay there and sob to herself in silence._

* * *

><p>She emerged a different person when she was discharged from the med-tent. Her eyes were always cold, even glacial. She wore a perpetual scowl. All she really seemed interested in now was the next mission. Even Kurenai, when she had returned from temporary assignment, was shocked at the change in the girl that she always knew to be too sweet and kind for her own good. Hinata wouldn't tell her anything when she asked, and was especially tight-lipped and snippy when Naruto's name was mentioned.<p>

Hinata started to shun anyone who wanted an emotional bond with her; she became a friendless isolationist…and she began to show a terrifying degree of ruthlessness on the battlefield, that same glacial expression on her face, as though cruelty and killing didn't seem to affect her anymore. She certainly didn't seek it out, but when it was necessary (and sometimes when it wasn't), she would kill the enemy ruthlessly, unflinchingly, and without any hesitation…her eyes still radiating nothing but glacial coldness.

Kurenai eventually stopped asking her anything. She eventually stopped even talking to her at all. Hinata would take special care to avoid Naruto, Hiashi and Hanabi; she didn't want to see any of them. Hiashi and Hanabi, because she hated them, and Naruto, because he broke her heart in the worst way. Why did he take her decision so personally? It was never about him! She didn't do it to hurt him! It simply didn't make any sense to her. She hated him for hurting her that way!

And yet…to this day, she still loved him with all her heart. She wanted nothing more than to charge back into his life and be the woman for him, but she also knew that he would have absolutely nothing to do with her. It was with this thought in mind that she lay on her bed, fell to her pillow, and silently cried herself to sleep…again.

* * *

><p><strong>Well…so that's what happened to Hinata<strong>**! Victory Day will wrap up in the next chapter, and we'll be getting back to life as Naruto and Kurenai know it****! What did you all think? Please review! Pretty please****!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I could only wish that I owned Naruto, but sadly I do not.**

**Once again, thank you so much to those who have reviewed, offered suggestions, and left great feedback.**

**Special thanks to: Ihateheroes (one of my very good writing buddies – I strongly reco****m****mend his work, particularly A Fishcake's Affair), Darth Malleus (another of my very good writing buddies – I also strongly recommend his story, The Good Left Undone, which is a Naruto/Star Wars crossover that I am beta-reading for him), soprano-in-waiting, Meech Macko (shout for joy, she's finally here!), Crypton89, Starfire99 (for actually taking a di****f****ferent stance and sharing it), Mordread (same reason as Starfire99).**

**Additional SPECIAL thanks to Tristan Ludlam for pointing out errors and inconsistencies in the pr****e****vious chapter.**** I went back and fixed those issues that you pointed out**** (but some of the first ones were correct; I appreciate it just the same, though)****.**

**Further thanks go to all who I might have missed who have left encouraging words for me; they are greatly appreciated, and they have been a great help to me to continue writing and delivering more material to you; please keep them coming!**

**And now, Chapter 9: Clearing the Air, and the New Toad Princess!**

* * *

><p>Most of the village was still celebrating the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War with comrades, friends and loved ones. In the middle of the night, a lone, somber figure, having done his celebrating, was now walking up to the Memorial Stone to go through a more private ritual: that of remembering lost friends and comrades on his own. As he reached the stone, Naruto just stood there and closed his eyes in a moment of silence before opening them again and seeking out the names of those he wished to remember, illuminated by the small spotlights shining upwards onto the stone from the ground.<p>

As his eye caught them, he brushed his fingers over each of them: Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze…he always smiled when he saw the appended "Namikaze" surname attached to his mother's name, done after her marriage to his father had been made public knowledge along with Naruto's full heritage…Hiruzen Sarutobi, Asuma Sarutobi, Jiraiya, Sai, Shino Aburame, Hana Inuzuka, Moegi Utatane, Udon Mitokado, Ebisu, Itachi Uchiha (whose name had been added at Naruto's insistence when he revealed the truth about the Uchiha Massacre to the public, and also for what Itachi had done for the Allied Shinobi Forces during the war when he had been revived with the Reanimation Jutsu by Kabuto) and finally, Rock Lee.

On impulse, he would always look for Sasuke's name, and find himself feeling grateful yet disappointed that his name wasn't carved on. _'Chalk it up to remembering him as my teammate and best friend, I guess…'_ he thought, somewhat bitterly. He simply stood there in silence, paying his respects to those who had given their all for the village that they so loved. He began to read other names that were on the stone, and found quite a few that he recognized: Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Nawaki Senju, Dan Kato, Obito Uchiha, Rin, Biwako Sarutobi, Hizashi Hyuuga. He ran across a name that he almost wished wasn't on the stone: Danzo Shimura. He had to admit, though, that even though he had heard of some of the despicable actions Danzo had either taken or perpetrated, it was also a known fact that he died in the line of duty to his village, killed by none other than Sasuke, himself.

_'And even now, the effects of your actions can still be felt…'_ he thought in bitter irony once more. His thoughts took another turn when his eyes ran across a name he'd never before noticed: Akahi Yuhi. _'Is this Kurenai's father?'_ he asked himself, intrigued, _'I'll have to ask her sometime.'_

"Hey…" a very familiar feminine voice rang out to his immediate right, pulling him from his thoughts.

Naruto quickly turned and looked down into emerald-green eyes, situated just below a rather high forehead, above which sat cascading pink locks of hair that were quite a bit longer than Naruto had remembered last seeing them. He couldn't help the unconscious smile that crept across his face upon seeing his former teammate's own semi-shy smile.

"Sakura!" he said in warm surprise, "Ermm…Hi! I didn't expect to see you here."

"Yeah," she responded with a soft, nervous laugh, "I know we haven't really talked in a while…how are you?" she asked with sincere curiosity.

"I'm really good," Naruto answered honestly, "How are you?"

She smiled a little wider, the awkwardness of the situation starting to fade, "I'm good, too."

She turned to the Memorial Stone, Naruto turning his gaze back there as well. They stood there in a comfortable silence for a few moments until Sakura broke it.

"You know, it's funny…" she began with a sense of nostalgia, "…Every time I come here, I look for his name, thinking it'll be here. But it never is."

"Oddly, enough, I look for it as well," he responded, just as nostalgically, "and when I don't see it, I'm honestly not sure how to feel about it…you know?"

Sakura turned to her former teammate in intrigued bemusement, "Believe it or not, yeah, I think I do. It's like I want his name to be here, but at the same time I don't."

Naruto simply nodded. The silence then continued before Sakura broke it once more, "Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to…get a drink sometime, just to catch up and all?"

Naruto thought for a few moments before offering an alternative, "Tell you what. Do you know where my home is?"

She nodded in response.

Naruto continued, "Why don't you come by tomorrow for lunch? We usually eat around noon."

"Yeah, I got wind of your little Genjutsu project with Kurenai and Neji; I think what you're trying to do is great!"

Naruto nodded, not surprised in the least, as Sakura was Tsunade's second apprentice. As such, she was sometimes privy to sensitive information. He also knew that she kept such things to herself, not speaking about them if she didn't have any business doing so.

She finished with a nod, "I'd like that, Naruto. It'll be good to see them as well. I'll see you tomorrow at noon, then?"

Naruto nodded and turned to leave, "Until tomorrow."

Sakura gently grabbed his arm to stop him, "Wait, you don't have to leave on my account…"

Naruto simply interrupted her with a laugh and a pat to the hand that she was using to hold his arm, "It's fine, really. I'm done…and I've actually got to be up and ready to work in a few hours, so I really need to head home."

"Oh, OK. Well…good night, then," she finished as she let go of his arm. He turned and flashed away, leaving her to her own thoughts and memories.

_'I'm glad to be talking to you again, Naruto…'_ she thought fondly as she paid her own respects to fallen friends and comrades.

* * *

><p>Naruto was awake at four o'clock the following morning, just a few short hours after his return home to sleep. He immediately got up and began preparing himself for Kurenai's arrival in an hour. After going through his morning routine, he made a shadow clone to prepare that morning's training gear while he proceeded to make breakfast that morning, keeping it light enough that Kurenai would be able to hold it down while training, but substantial enough to give her the energy she'd need until it came time for them to eat a mid-morning meal.<p>

Kurenai arrived promptly at five and freely entered the house. She and Naruto greeted each other with a good-morning hug and kiss before Naruto led her to the now-normal-sized dining room table. When she raised a quizzical eyebrow at the early-morning spread, consisting mostly of fruits, vegetables and light meats, Naruto explained the necessity for extra food due to the increased intensity of their training schedule, as well as the addition of a midmorning meal. Eating quickly, they were both finished within fifteen minutes. The clone that had prepared the gear for that morning's training session came back in and cleared the table, while Naruto and Kurenai went into the backyard dojo, getting into their training clothes and gear, and starting their new morning routine.

Kurenai made her usual fifteen shadow clones, setting ten of them to the downed tree to practice her fire chakra manipulation, while setting the other five to start trying to burst rubber balls. She began the usual morning physical routine, and as the two of them finished by nine o'clock, Naruto brought her back inside for the midmorning meal that he had told her she would need. Having gone through it now, she realized just how right he was; her body was screaming at her to eat something. She devoured the midmorning-spread, which consisted of heavier foods than breakfast had, including whole milk, scrambled eggs, rice and beef with some stir-fry vegetables.

Both of them finished this meal within fifteen minutes as well, Naruto, because he knew the need for expedience, especially on a training schedule that was this demanding, Kurenai just because she was famished. While they were eating, Kurenai's clones dispelled, causing immense pain in her hands as her tenketsu continued to stretch and morph. She would have also collapsed from exhaustion had she not been eating at that moment to refuel. Naruto also gave her a light soldier pill in order to replenish the chakra that she had already used up, knowing that she would now be using twice as much every day.

Upon reentering the backyard and continuing to train, Kurenai once more set ten shadow clones to the tree and five to the rubber balls. Naruto now had Kurenai doing several different exercises, geared towards increasing reflexes and fighters' instincts, spending the last hour before lunch sparring. By noon, Kurenai was thoroughly exhausted, feeling much the same way that she had when Naruto first started training her, but this time had a much better attitude about it. Naruto was about to lead Kurenai inside when he heard the front gate's alert seal go off. Expecting to see Neji and Tenten, the two of them went to the front gate, only to see Sakura Haruno waiting with them for Naruto to allow them entry. Now that he could see her in the light, he realized that not only was her hair different, but she had matured even more, into a lovely young woman: tall and thin, in many ways, she actually resembled Shizune in overall body type and shape, and she looked to stand at eye-level to Kurenai. Even though her style of dress remained the same as it was when she was a teenager, Naruto could see the difference.

With this, however, he also realized that he forgot to tell Kurenai about how Sakura would be joining them for lunch. After Naruto recounted his encounter with the pinkette the night prior, Kurenai at first seemed a bit dubious about the idea, remembering the time Naruto explained that he and Sakura hadn't been on speaking terms in years. She decided to withhold judgment for the time being, choosing to observe instead. Naruto created a shadow clone to lead the newcomers inside while he and Kurenai went to freshen themselves up a bit and get out of their training gear.

Lunch had been a pleasant affair. Most of the conversation just revolved around Sakura catching up with everyone. She was very excited for Neji and Tenten when they told her about their child, congratulating them warmly and heartily. She was also quite intrigued when Kurenai had told her the story behind how she and Naruto had come to the arrangement that they were currently in.

Kurenai saw that Sakura had been very friendly and courteous to everyone, especially Naruto. She was glad for this, knowing how hard it could be to lose touch with someone that had become very important to you. Her thoughts unconsciously drifted towards Hinata, and how she had transformed and become so cold while she was at her temporary assignment to the Third Division during the war. She missed the sweet girl that she loved as a daughter terribly; even now, it hurt to see the person Hinata allowed herself to be.

She brought her thoughts back to the present as the conversation shifted to the Genjutsu Countering Project. Sakura was very curious about the idea, asking question after question to all those assembled. They answered her straightforwardly and honestly, as it wasn't necessarily a big secret of any kind. Conversation kept going in this direction until they all heard Tenten let out an unintentional groan.

Neji looked at his wife with concern, "What's wrong, dear?"

Tenten just smiled back reassuringly, the wince behind her smile making it a little less then convincing, "Nothing, honey; just the usual aches and pains, that's all," as she put one hand on her stomach and another on her back.

Sakura stood up and walked over to her, "Tenten, I'd like to have a look, if you don't mind. I'm sure it's nothing, but you can never be too careful with pregnancy."

Tenten seemed to be a bit annoyed at being "fawned over", as she put it, but relented, nonetheless. As Sakura's hands started to glow green, she ran them over the areas where Tenten indicated the aches to be. Her eyes widened after a few seconds as she sharply rose to her feet.

"To the couch! Now!" Sakura said, with surprising urgency.

"Sakura, I'm fi…" Tenten began, trying to wave her off.

"No arguments!" Sakura interrupted in her best Emergency Room voice. Tenten, wanting to argue, but knowing better than to argue with a medical ninja in triage mode, complied. She was surprised, however, when Sakura rushed her over to the couch and began going through several different hand-signs and techniques.

"Sakura, what's going on?" Naruto asked, concerned for his pregnant friend.

"Tenten's in pre-term labor!" Sakura said firmly, keeping her medical professional façade on.

"WHAT?" the rest of them exclaimed, shocked at her diagnosis.

"Work, now! Talk, later!" Sakura exclaimed, effectively shutting them all up while she continued working.

After a few minutes, her hands stopped glowing, and Tenten seemed to be noticeably relieved. Sakura stood up, wiping her forehead.

She turned to Naruto, Kurenai and Neji, and with a relieved sigh, said, "Crisis averted."

Adopting a more stern face, she turned back to Tenten, "Tenten, is there anything you want to tell me?"

Tenten seemed confused, "What do you mean?"

"Pre-term labor on the tail-end of the first trimester, while not unheard of, is certainly not a common occurrence. It happens much more to kunoichi than it does to civilian women because of the level of training that we put ourselves through…" at this, Tenten seemed to flinch a bit guiltily, "…so I'll ask again: is there anything you want to tell me?"

Tenten's jaw seemed to clench at this. Neji stepped up next to Sakura and asked just as sternly as Sakura had, "Tenten…what have you been doing?"

Tenten closed her eyes and sighed, "Fine. I've been trying to keep my training up while Neji was sleeping. I knew he wouldn't approve, and I was going stir-crazy just sitting around."

Sakura, still in stern-doctor mode, continued, "Who's your doctor, Tenten?"

"Shizune," Tenten answered

"I cannot imagine Shizune approving or giving a green light for you to engage in ninja training right now. What were her orders to you?"

"That I'm not to train during the rest of my pregnancy…at all."

"How long ago did she give you these orders?"

"Two weeks ago."

"So she told you to stop after you were about twelve weeks along or so. Those are standard instructions for pregnant kunoichi. And you thought that it was no big deal to disregard her orders?"

Tenten replied in both a resigned and frustrated tone, "I'm a ninja; I hate feeling helpless, I hate being doted on. I wanted to keep my skills up, so yeah. I've kept it a lot lighter than usual, so I didn't think it was that big a deal."

Neji closed his eyes and sighed in exasperation. Sakura simply continued her interrogation, "Did she tell you why you shouldn't continue training while pregnant?"

Tenten shook her head, "No".

"She asked if you had any questions for her, didn't she?" Sakura asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, she did," she said resignedly.

"And it didn't occur to you to ask her what would happen should you engage in any kind of intense, overly-strenuous training while carrying a baby?"

Tenten seemed to become a bit nervous, as though she was starting to realize the implications of her actions, "It did occur to me, but I chose not to ask; I…I didn't want to be told not to."

Sakura closed her eyes and sighed in frustration and concern. Opening her eyes again, she addressed the bun-haired Hyuuga, "Tenten, your foolishness almost cost you your baby today. The next time your doctor gives you an order concerning what to do and what not to do, ESPECIALLY while pregnant, at the very least, make sure you understand the reasons behind them. Don't. Ever. Pull. A stunt like this. Again. Ever! Am I clear?"

Tenten began to shed a few guilty tears, "Yes. I'm sorry; I…honestly didn't realize what I was doing."

Neji simply turned back to his wife, angry with her yet with forgiveness in his eyes, "Fortunately, there was no harm done, and nothing irreversible happened today. We should learn from this, however."

Tenten smiled gratefully at her husband, who offered her a smile of his own, letting her know all was forgiven. With the situation cleared, all tension dissipated. Everything returned to normal before Sakura spoke up, "If it's OK with everyone, I'd like to stick around today. We averted this for now, but a woman's body does weird things during pregnancy, so I'd like to be on hand just in case anything else happens today. Is that OK with everyone?"

Receiving unanimous approval from all parties, they all proceeded out to the backyard. Kurenai creating her shadow clones to get back to tree-roasting and ball-bursting, while she, Naruto and Neji proceeded to continue executing the clinical trials that they had created for mind-altering genjutsu. They were currently working at high B-level genjutsu of this particular type, neither one of them feeling comfortable enough to try tackling A-level techniques yet. Tenten and Sakura watched as Kurenai would put Naruto into illusion after illusion, while Neji observed every minute detail with an activated Byakugan.

Sakura couldn't help but notice the way that Naruto and Kurenai seemed to interact with each other; the glances, the way each one seemed to light up when the other spoke or acted, the knowing smirk on Neji's face…it was almost as if they were a couple. She found the idea a bit intriguing, and when she looked at them, she had to admit that they just seemed to…fit. Growing bored with this after a while, Sakura decided to strike up a conversation with Tenten, "So, how long has this been routine for you?"

"Too long, it seems like…" sighed Tenten in bored frustration, "…they've been at this for a couple of months, now. I guess I should be grateful that I have seen them make progress in that time."

_'Geez, no wonder she's been going stir-crazy,'_ thought Sakura, who continued to talk, "That's good to know…" she trailed off a bit, "So…what exactly are Naruto and Kurenai to each other, anyway?"

Tenten raised an eyebrow at Sakura's direct question. Deciding to answer as delicately as possible, she began, "Well, in addition to this project, Naruto's been training Kurenai and helping her to improve her overall skills so that her chakra control and reserves will increase and she can break a ceiling in her genjutsu practice that she'd been complaining about. She also asked him to take her on as an apprentice in the sealing arts."

"Really?" asked Sakura with intrigued surprise. "I didn't realize that anyone really had an interest in sealing these days."

"Sadly, most don't," Tenten responded, "but…it's a very useful art; I know that just from the basics of being able to seal thousands of weapons into scrolls. I'm actually thinking about asking Naruto if he'd be willing to take me on as another student. Kurenai tells me that he's really strict as a master, though."

Sakura smiled at this, remembering Tsunade's own strict training, "Hmm…I find that the very best masters usually are. They're the ones who don't let you take any shortcuts, and they make sure that you've got the basics down to instinct."

"Yeah, sounds like what Kurenai tells us. But after a short amount of time, Kurenai can already produce greater seals than anything that's sold at the Wolf's Claw. And she says that she's still learning to master the basics."

Sakura's eyebrows shot up at this. She didn't realize just how strict Naruto was in his instruction…but if he was that strict, he must be amazingly good at the art!

Remembering what prompted her to start this conversation, she changed tacks, asking in a bemused, knowing tone, "So…is that all they are to each other?"

Tenten smirked and turned to her, "So you noticed, huh?"

Sakura nodded, "It's not that hard to see…"

"Well…they aren't…involved or anything yet. But…we're pretty sure that it's just a matter of time."

The rest of the afternoon went on in a similar manner, ending with dinner before Neji and Tenten wished Naruto a good night and made their way home. After they had left, Sakura pulled Kurenai aside and asked, "Kurenai, I don't mean to interrupt your training or anything, but…can I have a few minutes to talk with Naruto? We need to have a conversation that's…well…a bit overdue."

Kurenai smiled knowingly and nodded, "Of course, Sakura, that's fine. We're actually done for the day anyway."

Kurenai turned to Naruto's direction and called out, "See you tomorrow, Naruto!"

"OK! See you tomorrow, Kurenai!" he yelled back, with which she left the house and made her way home.

Sakura, preparing for what would be an awkward conversation, approached Naruto with trepidation, "Hey…Naruto…can we talk?"

Naruto turned to her, his face holding no surprise, "I figured we'd get to this…" with which he smiled, "…yeah, let's talk."

"Naruto, listen," she began, and continued almost pleadingly, "I know that you did what had to be done when you killed Sasuke. I want you to know that I've always known that. I just…couldn't help how I felt about him. I know that…I never really loved him to begin with. I only loved my image of him. I also know that my image of him wasn't built on the truth a lot of the time, but on assumptions that I made."

Naruto began to interrupt, but Sakura stopped him, "Please let me finish…"

Naruto just nodded in response inviting Sakura to continue, "I fell in love with Sasuke in big part for things that you did for me that I gave him credit for, not for what was real. I thought he was the one who saved me from Gaara, when it was you who did that. I thought he was the one who defeated Aoi Rokusho when we were in the Land of Tea; again, it was you who did that. Sasuke…was a darkened soul long before we were Team 7, and while that wasn't his fault, it was only because of you that he began to become a brighter one for the brief time he did…before he left for Orochimaru. It took me a long time…but I had to come to grips with the fact that I…mistook the wolf for the sheep dog; you know, it's funny, that's a mistake a lot of young girls make," she trailed off with a soft, saddened laugh.

"I also had to come to grips with the fact that the person that I loved…didn't really exist. That was the…hardest thing for me to accept," she admitted, looking ashamed.

"Naruto, I just wanted to say that…I'm sorry…I'm truly sorry…for what I let myself remain blind to when we were genin, and even for years after that. I'm sorry that I made that…that…**ridiculous** 'once-in-a-lifetime request' about bringing him back to me. I'm sorry I continued holding you to it all those years, and you even fulfilled the promise you made; maybe not ideally, but…you did bring him back to me, even if it was just his body."

She then walked towards Naruto and just wrapped her arms around his body, "I'm sorry…"

"Hey…" Naruto cut her off as he wrapped his own arms around the thin woman, "…that's enough of that. Sakura I knew you'd come around and talk to me eventually, and I don't think you have anything to apologize for. I wanted him back just as much as you did, and I would have fought to bring him back regardless of that promise I made. All the promise did was make me decide to bring his body to you instead of disposing of it right there on the spot."

Sakura, surprisingly enough, simply laughed warmly. Naruto had half-expected her to fall to pieces and start bawling on him.

She responded once more, "Thank you, Naruto…for being such a great friend to me throughout the years."

She then let him go and stepped back, causing him to drop his arms as well. She smiled at him softly and then looked at the door, "You know…she's a magnificent woman, Naruto…" at this, Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise, "…Kurenai's still the envy of almost all of the women in the village, including those of us in the twenty-something generation. You really do deserve someone like her…" she then looked him in the eye, stepping towards him once more, putting her hand on one side of his face, "…and what's more…" she kissed the free side of his face, "…she deserves someone as amazing as you."

Naruto couldn't help but blush at her words. Were his feelings for Kurenai really that obvious? And did Sakura really hold him in such high regard? He simply took the hand that was resting on his face and took it in both his own, "Thank you. Sakura, that means a lot to me."

"What are friends for, if not to lift each other up and give each other a few prods in the right direction, huh?" Sakura asked in response, her spirits genuinely lighter now that the two of them had cleared the air.

"Well," she said, "I guess I'll see you around, OK?"

"You bet," he responded, before adding, "…and anytime you want to drop by, you're more than welcome. Oh, and before I forget…if you could keep it to yourself about Kurenai and me, I'd appreciate it; it's a bit of a…delicate situation at the moment."

She nodded with a smile before waving goodbye and showing herself out. Naruto let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He felt strangely light; it always did feel good to reconcile with friends and patch things up. With that, Naruto went into his office and decided to look over his businesses and assets to make sure that things were running smoothly.

* * *

><p>The rest of March and April passed by in a rather routine fashion for the most part. The only event that stood out was the wedding of Konohamaru and Hanabi Sarutobi. There wasn't anything particularly elaborate about the wedding ceremony; at Konohamaru and Hanabi's request, it was actually a simple straightforward affair, performed by Hiro Hyuuga. Hiashi was beaming for his youngest daughter, and couldn't help but be quite proud of her as she mustered the strength to not only stand on her own for the exchanging of vows and rings, but also to give Konohamaru his first dance with her at their wedding reception. Hinata, of course, was absent, as she said she'd be. Naruto and Anko stood with them the entire time, both of them beaming with happiness as the Best Man and the Matron of Honor. Naruto sent them both to the Daimyo's Palace Resort in the Land of the Crescent Moon for a one-month honeymoon, arranging for additional security with King Hikaru to ensure that they could both enjoy their time there without any worries.<p>

Kurenai's training continued at the new pace that Naruto had set for her, causing Kurenai's progress to skyrocket once again. Other than the Sarutobi/Hyuuga Wedding, however, the only real difference in the day-to-day lives of Naruto, Kurenai, Neji and Tenten (who was now beginning to show a baby pooch), since Victory Day, was that Sakura began to come around more, mostly to make sure Tenten stayed off her feet, and to be on hand should anything else happen to go wrong with the pregnancy. This had the added benefit of allowing Neji to concentrate more on the task at hand: helping Naruto to perfect the Chakra Encasement technique. He had built up to the point where he was now working to dispel high A-rank genjutsu, and this time it was Neji and Kurenai who would decide when he would be ready to handle S-Rank mind-altering genjutsu, as many of these could be potentially fatal if not only done wrong, but also if they weren't dispelled properly. Progress was being made, though, and field tests were being conducted with Chakra Encasement on lower-level genjutsu now.

It was in Tsunade's office once again that the small group was making their report on this very topic, and on Kurenai's additional training as well. Chakra Flow Identification had been fully-tested, and was now being classified as a high-genin/low-chunin skill. A complete written report detailing the skill, as well as the methods for developing and refining it, had been submitted to Tsunade, who could now test it herself and begin disseminating it through the rest of the ranks…though that would come later.

After Neji and Tenten had been dismissed, Naruto continued to report on Kurenai's progress in her fuinjutsu education and additional training. Her physical conditioning had improved dramatically; she was as strong and as fast as Kakashi now. Her taijutsu style was also coming along rather nicely, beginning to flow seamlessly together into something that was truly Kurenai's own. Guy had had the chance to see the basic katas that Kurenai had created, and to say that he was impressed was quite an understatement; Kurenai had created a style that was as graceful and as fast as the Strong Fist Style was…well…strong. Of course, when she added chakra in different ways to her attacks, she created a style that was deceptively soft: it was much faster, stronger, and far more deadly than it looked upon first seeing it; it was like the Gentle Fist, at least in that way.

She had also finally mastered the change in chakra nature to fire by being able to set an entire downed tree on fire, and now she didn't need clones to do it anymore. Her mastery of chakra nature also showed when she performed fire-style ninjutsu: they were bigger, stronger, more exact and precise, and she could spam out a whole lot more of them. Her chakra reserves were through the roof; they were Kage-level, at least, Naruto had informed Tsunade that Kurenai's chakra levels at least matched her own, and possibly surpassed them. Her fine-tuned chakra control, while having suffered some in the past few weeks, was still quite impressive, and was still sharper than it was before she had started training under Naruto.

She had also continued beefing up her ninjutsu arsenal, and had even started adding a few ninjutsu that were not of her affinity: She learned the Wind Style: Great Breach, Wind Style: Air Bullet, and the Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu. She also learned the Water Style: Water Wall, Water Style: Liquid Bullet, and Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu. She had also begun to practice change in chakra nature to these two elements, though not as intensely as she did when learning change in nature to fire, which was her primary affinity. He also said that she added some additional Fire Style ninjutsu to her arsenal, but he wouldn't go into what they were, opting to keep it a surprise.

When he discussed her Fuinjutsu education, he was still drilling what he considered to be the basics into her, and also began educating her on the different branches or schools of fuinjutsu, as he called them: Security Fuinjutsu, Intelligence Fuinjutsu, Energy Manipulation Fuinjutsu and Supplemental Fuinjutsu (1). He had also started her on creating several variations of basic seals that Konoha was familiar with: he showed her how to add the indexing feature to the storage seal, as well as how to manipulate the seal itself to either increase or decrease in "storage space", he also taught her how to make varying-effect exploding tags, adding such features as time-delays, and elemental chakra for different effects as well, such as wind for a wider explosion, or fire for a more powerful explosion, or even earth to create a shrapnel effect.

"Excellent work, you two!" Tsunade beamed with happiness, and although she didn't know everything, she knew that their work had been excellent, and that Kurenai Yuhi was becoming more and more of a force to be reckoned with in the Hidden Leaf shinobi forces with each passing day. Both Naruto and Kurenai smiled with great pride, Naruto in his student, Kurenai in herself and her teacher. Tsunade had been sizing Kurenai up and noticing the changes in her physique and appearance since she started training under Naruto.

Her musculature was much more defined, but didn't make her appear any less womanly; if anything, it only gave her more of a curvy, hourglass-type body, as the muscles that had developed seemed to push those curves out even more. Her bandage-dress seemed to hang off of her differently; a bit looser below the bust, but still rested quite well where her hips flared. Her bare legs definitely showed much greater muscle definition, but were still long, lean and feminine. One thing was clear: Kurenai trained hard, Naruto pushed her hard, and Tsunade was very impressed.

"Thank you very much, you're both dismissed! I'm looking forward to seeing just what you demonstrate to us when the time comes around, Kurenai. Until then, please, keep it up; who knows, you might even show yourself to be stronger than me!" she finished, still with a smile.

Kurenai smiled knowingly at this, but Naruto smirked even more knowingly, thinking, _'Oh, Grandma, you have no idea…'_ as he recalled Kurenai's additional…special training…

* * *

><p><em>Kurenai had been attacking those evil, devilish rubber balls with all of the righteous fury of a female peeped on in the bathhouse by a pervert! In the last month since she had mastered fire manipulation, she raised the number of clones that she would use to makes those balls explode. The tenketsu in her hands no longer bothered her quite so much when the clones dispelled, now, so she started using twenty clones at a time to practice making those balls explode. Within two days, she managed to rupture the ball, to which she gave a loud whoop in personal celebration as Naruto applauded.<em>

_Three days after that, the ball exploded after five seconds. Two days after that, she made the two-second window, signifying that she was done with the first task of this stage. It took her another week with just as many clones to be able to make two balls burst within the two-second window, and it was one more week after that that she was able to do it without thinking too much about it. Naruto, upon seeing that she had completed the "power" stage of the exercise, gave her a new regimen to follow for training with her clones: five would now practice wind manipulation by cutting a leaf with their chakra, and five would sit by the lake and start creating golf-ball size orbs of water with their chakra, which was the first step in mastering water chakra manipulation. The fifteen remaining clones would begin the third and final required stage of this chakra shape manipulation training that he had Kurenai doing._

_Naruto began to explain, "OK, you've mastered stage one, which is rotation, and you've mastered stage two, which is power. Stage three, I think, will come a lot easier to you than stage two did, because stage three is more about control than it is about power. What you do, is you make the chakra rotate in as many directions as possible just like stage one, and you'll add the kind of power that you used in stage 2. But…here's where it gets tricky: stage three is about compression. All that rotating chakra and all that power…has to be kept and maintained in a tiny little space. Allow me to demonstrate."_

_Naruto picked up two balloons and threw one to Kurenai, who saw that this one was filled with air and not water. Kurenai waited patiently for Naruto to explain, which he promptly did, "Now, the previous two stages were about making the balloon and the ball burst. This stage is about keeping the balloon from bursting, demonstrating perfect control over the chakra inside."_

_Naruto held the balloon that he had kept in his right hand. Nothing seemed to happen at first, but Kurenai could hear the small hum of chakra that she had become accustomed to when doing the second exercise, so she knew that something was happening inside the balloon._

"_This is what you want to avoid," said Naruto, as he allowed his control to slip just enough to cause the balloon to shred and the escaping chakra to disperse. He then gestured for her to come closer while pulling out another balloon. He held the balloon a little closer to her face so that she could hear the chakra a little more clearly. She could hear the hum getting steadily louder for the twenty seconds or so that he held the balloon in front of her before he allowed the balloon to shred again._

"_Tell me what you heard, and what you're able to discern from it," he ordered, falling into "master" mode._

_She answered, "The hum kept getting louder and louder, and I could feel the chakra increasing in intensity. I'm guessing that even though you kept it in that same confined space that you continued to increase the rotation and power of the chakra inside of it while keeping it compressed and contained."_

_He smiled, "Excellent, Kurenai! Now, this stage will be considered completed after you can steadily increase the rotation and the power of the chakra inside this little balloon while keeping it from popping for at least twenty seconds."_

_She nodded in understand and got her clones started on it._

_Naruto gestured once more to her, "Now, I have something special for you, today."_

_He then bit his left thumb, wiped it across his right hand and went through five very familiar hand seals before thrusting his palm to the ground and shouting, "Summoning Jutsu!"_

_A black seal expanded where his hand was, and a second later a toad the size of a small house poofed into existence. Opening his mouth and unrolling his tongue, Kurenai saw that the tip of it was holding a large scroll. Naruto took the scroll and unrolled it, laying it down on the ground._

_He looked up at Kurenai and smiled, "Today…I'm going to let you sign the Toad Contract!"_

_Kurenai gasped in shock; nothing in her wildest dreams could have prepared her for this! Naruto was allowing her to become a toad summoner, and there were only three names on the contract: Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and Naruto Uzumaki (she saw that "Namikaze" seemed to have been appended later)! He was letting her become the Fourth Toad Summoner, and the first FEMALE Toad Summoner on top of that! What a humbling honor to be given!_

_Naruto instructed her to write her name in blood on the contract using the hand that she would be using to summon with, and to leave her fingerprints, again in blood, underneath her signature. She did as instructed, signing her name: Kurenai Yuhi, and leaving her right-hand fingerprints on the parchment. Naruto smiled upon her completion, rolled up the contract, and gave it back to the Toad, who disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto then created a shadow clone to supervise the training of the other Kurenais while he brought Kurenai to a safe place outside of the village where they could summon without causing too much of a ruckus._

_They landed in a field about ten miles or so outside of the village, where he showed Kurenai the hand seals to perform for the summoning. He instructed her in the complete jutsu: she would have to swipe some of her blood across the palm that she was using to summon with, perform the Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey and Ram hand seals in that order, and then force as much chakra as she could into the jutsu on her first try. Normally she would have to bite her thumb, but any open cut would do, and summoning was one jutsu that made open wounds in battle rather convenient to have._

_Kurenai bit her left thumb hard enough to draw blood, wiped the blood across her right palm, and went through the hand-seal sequence that Naruto had showed her. She then forced all the chakra she could through her right palm, slammed it to the ground and shouted, "SUMMONING JUTSU!"_

_Naruto, feeling the amount of chakra that Kurenai forced into the summoning, knew exactly who would be making an appearance. Naruto smirked as Kurenai found herself standing on the head of none other than Gamabunta himself! The Chief Toad looked around and narrowed his eye, looking down towards Naruto, before asking in his booming voice, "__**Hey, kid, what gives?**__"_

"_Actually, I'm not the one who summoned you, Chief," responded Naruto, who pointed to just above Gamabunta's head. Kurenai walked gently down Gamabunta's skull, crossing the bridge of his nose and standing before the great Toad on his bill._

_Kurenai, unsure of what to say or do, waved at the giant Toad and said, "Hello, Lord Gamabunta. Naruto was gracious enough to let me sign your Clan's contract. I didn't expect to summon you on my first try, though."_

_Bunta seemed to regard her thoughtfully before a chuckle erupted from his throat. He turned his attention back to Naruto and __as__ked, __**"So…you finally let her sign, h**__**uh**__**, brat?"**_

"_You know it, Bunta!" he exclaimed. Kurenai was taken by surprise at this admission._

_She voiced her surprise, "So…you were expecting me to sign your contract and summon you at some point…Lord Gamabunta?"_

"_**Yes, my dear, I was. Naruto here's been back and forth to Mt. Myoboku quite a bit since he took you on as an apprentice. As your 'Master'…"**__ Bunta lowered the volume of his voice so as to speak to Kurenai in a conspiratorial fashion, __**"…and I do use the term loosely, believe me…"**__ causing Naruto to develop a tick on his forehead and Kurenai to giggle before the Chief of the Toads spoke in his normal boom once more, __**"…**__**he felt that he should teach you everything he could, and impart on you every skill he had, not just fuinjutsu. That includes the ability and the opportunity to ally with **__**me and my family**__**. My 'henchman' down there…"**__ causing Naruto to mutter and brood about getting no respect from his summons, and Kurenai to giggle once more, __**"…can't stop talking about one Kurenai Yuhi**__**, and about how he wants her to become part of our family**__**; from hearing him talk, you'd think the brat ate, breathed and slept with the sole purpose of keeping you in his thoughts. Although…"**__ Bunta regarded the now-blushing woman standing on his bill before continuing, __**"…now that I've seen you firsthand, I can understand why**__**!**__** He's a lucky brat**__** to have someone like you**__**! Congratulations, Kurenai Yuhi! I gladly **__**accept you as an ally and friend of the Toads, and I acknowledge you as the First-Ever Toad Princess!"**_

_Kurenai was now both blushing and beaming ecstatically at being accepted by the Chief of the Toads as one of their own, as well as becoming dizzy with the new dimension that this would give to her career as a kunoichi. She fell to her knees and bowed, "Thank you, Lord Gamabunta! I won't abuse your trust, and I will respect your kin!"_

_Gamabunta heartily laughed at this, __**"**__**Sweetheart**__**, stand up! You're family, now! **__**I have no doubts at all that you'll treat us well, and that you'll fit right in! So **__**n**__**one of that 'Lord' **__**nonsense! You can call me '**__**Dad**__**'**__** or even 'Daddy'**__** if you want! I always wanted a daughter**__**, so what do you say, there, huh? Make a**__** warty **__**old **__**t**__**oad happy?"**_

_Kurenai stood up and thought a bit before smiling cutely and responding, "OK…Daddy-Bunta."_

"_HEY! In case you've forgotten, I'm still down here!" they heard an annoyed Naruto shout from below._

"_**Oh...sorry brat, I forgot you were there,"**__ exclaimed Gamabunta teasingly with a smirk, causing Naruto to fume and Kurenai to laugh outright._

"_I'LL MAKE YOU FORGET SOME…" Naruto began, the tick-mark on his head growing bigger._

"_**Hey, brat, watch your mouth! Henchmen don't talk to their Bosses that way!"**_

"_Bunta, I may be your henchman, but I can still kick your ass six ways to Sunday! And don't you forget it, you old fart!"_

"_Don't you talk to my Daddy that way, you big Meany!" shouted Kurenai in mock-anger, causing Naruto to sputter and Gamabunta to laugh heartily once more._

"_**Yeah, brat! Don't talk to her Daddy that way!"**__ Bunta lowered his tone as he added, __**"even if it is true.**__**"**_

_Kurenai appeared saddened at that, "Oh, come on, Daddy-Bunta. You're not an old fart."_

"_**That's not what I meant. What's true is that the brat down there really CAN kick my ass."**_

"_Wow…really?" asked Kurenai, all pretense of playing the doting daughter forgotten in her surprise._

"_**Yeah, it's true, but…he's fun to keep around.**__** Tadpole**__**?**__**"**__ Bunta address__ed__ Kurenai, emphasizing the endearing nature of the term of endearment__._

"_Yes, Daddy?" asked Kurenai, her girlish voice having returned full force._

"_**Y**__**ou make sure he knows who's boss in your house, OK? If he gives you any flak, you come get me and I'll **__**straighten him out**__**!"**_

"_I will, Daddy-Bunta! I'll show that big Meany he can't treat my Daddy like that!" she finished in a childlike voice before kissing her new "Daddy" right between the eyes with a smile._

"_**Well**__**, **__**I'm sure Ma**__** and Pa**__** will want to meet ya! Naruto…"**__ Bunta turned to address his principal summoner, __**"…be sure to bring her by the Mountain, soon!**__**"**_

"_You bet, Chief! See ya!" Naruto waved._

_Gamabunta lowered his head, allowing Kurenai to step off onto the ground._

"_**So long, you two!"**__ he said as he disappeared with a poof, going back to Mt. Myoboku._

_Immediately after Gamabunta left, Kurenai spaced out as one of her clones dispelled upon mastering the third stage. This was followed by more of her clones dispelling one at a time while she was absorbing the experience of achieving the third and final stage of the training. She felt a bit light-headed and began to fall to her knees, not quite reaching the ground as Naruto was fast enough to scoop her into his arms and gently sit her down. After a few moments, she looked up, her eyes wide and an excited grin on her face!_

"_Naruto…" she began, to which Naruto gave her his attention, "I've finished the final stage of the training!"_

"_Already?" asked Naruto, "Wow! I wasn't expecting you to finish for another two or three days at least! OK, let's head back to the house so you can demonstrate!"_

_They made it back to the estate, Kurenai immediately bringing Naruto to the backyard. She grabbed one of the balloons that was still there and held it, forcing and rotating chakra into it while keeping it compressed for a few seconds while Naruto spoke up._

"_Kurenai, hold that balloon and the chakra in there as it is for now. Do you think you can do what you're doing in that balloon in your other hand without a balloon?"_

"_Yeah, it seems easy enough; I'm not even concentrating that hard."_

_Kurenai then opened her left hand and started rotating chakra, forcing chakra in, compressing it all into a perfect little sphere. As she saw what formed in her hand, her eyes widened as she turned to Naruto, "You…you've been teaching me the Rasengan all this time?"_

_Naruto gave her a knowing smile as he answered, "Yep! Remember that little bonus I was telling you about?"_

_She nodded, prompting him to continue, "Well, you now have a nice little A-Rank ninjutsu in your arsenal that only four people alive, including you, can use, as an ace-in-the-hole in close quarters combat."_

'_Wow…what a day! First, I master the second stage of shape manipulation, then I sign the Toad Contract, and now I'm able to perform the Rasengan! What's next?' she asked herself, excited at how this particular day was turning out, but not sure if she could handle any more._

"_OK," said Naruto, pulling her out of her musings. This time Naruto picked up a balloon that had not been blown up or tied off, before he began, "This is an additional stage of Rasengan training that I created myself. Stage one was rotation, stage two was power, stage three was compression…stage four…is precision. Allow me to demonstrate once more."_

_As she watched Naruto's hand, the untied balloon began to grow on its own without the surface of the balloon being scratched or marred. Naruto grew the balloon to four times the size of the original Rasengan, allowing Kurenai to see part of it through the opening. She also watched as the balloon began to shrink, and grow and shrink, and grow and shrink, seemingly upon command._

"_This exercise allows you to vary the size of your Rasengan without taking away any of its integrity or strength. It's not necessary, but I do find that it's handy to be able to adjust the size of the ball."_

_Kurenai nodded, easily able to see how such a skill could be useful. She would master that one, too…but she'd wait until tomorrow to start on it. She'd mastered two stages and signed the Toad Contract today; that was a lot! For the first time ever, they decided to call it a day…early…_

* * *

><p><em>The next week, Naruto had been putting Kurenai through greater physical training while her clones were practicing the Fourth Stage in Rasengan training. He was also introducing her to several of the other toads, especially Gamakichi and Gamatatsu, his own two best friends among the residents of Mt. Myoboku. He had also been wracking his brain trying to think of who a good partner would be for her…when it suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks.<em>

_As they were closing out a particularly tough day of training, Naruto spoke, "There's one last thing I want for us to do today. Some toads you'll summon more than others, mainly because there are different types of toads just like there are different types of shinobi. There are actually two toads I summon more than any others: Gamakichi, who's Bunta's oldest son, and a Fire-chakra user, and Gamatatsu, who's Kichi's little brother, and he's a Water-chakra user. I think being a genjutsu specialist, I know who you'll work well with, because he's a genjutsu toad, and he's also a water-chakra user."_

_Performing the summoning jutsu, Naruto waited for the smoke to clear, revealing a light green toad with yellow markings on his body and a white underbelly, purple eyes, bright red lipstick, bright pink blush on his cheeks and a magenta bow on his back. Obviously surprised that he had been summoned, he started to look around frantically until his eyes landed on…_

"_Naruto?" the toad asked in an effeminate baritone, "What in the world would prompt you of all people to summon me? Hmph!" he closed his eyes and turned his head from Naruto._

"_Hello, Gamariki. I actually summoned you because I believe that of all the toads, YOU would be the perfect partner to the newest toad summoner!" Naruto finished with gusto, while Gamariki didn't look convinced, and Kurenai sweat-dropped, wondering if this was Naruto's idea of a joke._

"_I don't wanna!" complained the toad in drag._

"_You mean to tell me…" Naruto began, baiting the __glitzy toad in, "…that YOU don't want to be the __primary summoning partner __for__ Kurenai Yuhi…__the first…ever…toad…__**princess**__?"_

"_TOAD PRINCESS? WHERE?" Gamariki asked, with sudden renewed interest. Kurenai coughed to get his attention. When he saw her, his eyes had stars in them!_

"_Well, look at YOU…" Gamariki said, drawing out the last word and bringing himself right next to Kurenai, "…I must admit, Naruto and I really don't get along that well, but I certainly can't argue with his impeccable taste in women…" he finished, bringing a blush to Kurenai's face._

_Kurenai, certainly not expecting to be hit on by a drag queen, be it a toad or otherwise, stuttered out, "Err…w-well…th-thank you."_

"_Oh, please, honey, don't thank me, it's my duty as a male to notice and appreciate such wondrous beauty amongst the fairer sex. Are you sure you don't want to leave him and run away with me, hmmm?"_

_Kurenai grew even more flustered, while Naruto seemed to grow confused, "Ermmm…sorry, Gamariki, but I kinda thought you were…well, you know…playing for the other team?"_

_Gamariki developed a tick mark at this as he turned on Naruto, yelling at the top of his lungs, "AND JUST WHATEVER GAVE YOU THAT IDEA, YOU MORON?"_

_Naruto couldn't help but chuckle nervously, while Kurenai sweat-dropped again._

_Gamariki seemed to go off into his own world as he voiced his thoughts aloud, "What? Is it the lipstick? Darn it all, I knew I should have used a darker shade! Blush, too; maybe gothic black will work…no, too gloomy. And this bow; I knew I should have gotten the rustic brown leather one instead! Oh, how could I make so many fashion faux-pas?" He finished his tirade as he seemed to be on the verge of tears._

_Recollecting himself, he turned his attention back to Naruto, "I accept this honor, Naruto, and…" he muttered something so low that neither Naruto nor Kurenai could hear him._

"_Say what?" asked Naruto, "Sorry, Gamariki, but I don't think either one of us caught that last bit."_

"_fmdnk ymrw," the effeminate toad mumbled once again._

"_What?" asked Naruto again, this time a bit more forcefully._

_Gamariki yelled out, "I SAID THANK YOU!" causing Naruto to wince and twirl his pinky in his ear, making sure that he could still hear or feel anything inside his ear canal._

_Gamariki schooled his features again, "I'll be returning now. Kurenai, please feel free to summon me whenever you like. We'll have such great girl time!"_

_Kurenai just chuckled nervously in response, "Errm…sure Gamariki; I'm looking forward to…getting to know you."_

"_Well, then. Ta ta!" he exclaimed as he puffed away. Kurenai looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow, not sure whether she should be amused._

_Naruto smiled sheepishly, bringing his hand to scratch the back of his head, "Yeah, I probably should have prepared you for him. Sorry…but he really is the best toad for you; he's the only one who has any real genjutsu talent at all."_

_Kurenai just sighed in resigned frustration. She loved him, but even now, he could still be a bit dense…_

* * *

><p>Both Naruto and Kurenai wished their Hokage a good morning as they left her office, content to find a few other things to do, as they never trained on the days when they gave their monthly reports. Oddly enough, they didn't know why; they didn't have a reason not to…it just became something of a tradition that had come up out of nowhere.<p>

They left the Hokage Tower and started walking down the street, heading in the direction of Ichiraku Ramen for lunch. It was never simple for these two. Even though Naruto no longer had to worry about his fangirl problem, as Kurenai had unleashed enough killing intent when they started getting any ideas, they still faced varying looks from the populace. Sometimes, it was a beam of admiration, sometimes a glare of jealousy, and with Kurenai, sometimes that jealousy was coupled with disgust. Though it really didn't bother her as much anymore, she still chose to err on the side of caution for now. Getting worked up over it, and giving fuel to the gossips, would do nothing but cause trouble at this point.

Naruto had encouraged her as best he could, knowing that any woman he would eventually get involved with would be subject to the same treatment by jealous people. He also knew that once she showed them all just how powerful she was, even now, all of the ill-treatment would stop, as he was convinced that they would see that Kurenai might well be the only woman in the village worthy of standing at his side as a partner.

Once they made it to Ichiraku's, they opened the flap to see Iruka and Anko there. They joined their friends and ordered their typical Naruto Special and Kurenai Special. When both orders came, Naruto and Kurenai attacked them with gusto yet grace; yes, Kurenai was a very good influence on Naruto in the Uminos' humble opinions. They all simply passed the rest of their lunch time just catching up, talking about things of no real consequence, until Anko teasingly asked them when their first date would be.

"That's right!" Naruto exclaimed, to all of their surprise, "Kurenai…The Fire Daimyo is having a grand ball to celebrate Lady Shijimi's fiftieth birthday ten days from now. It'll be at the Daimyo's Palace Resort outside Tanzaku Town. I've been asked to host it, and…well…" he seemed to suddenly become bashful, "...I was wondering if you'd accompany me?"

Both Iruka and Anko raised their eyebrows in surprise before developing matching bemused grins.

Kurenai seemed to have stars in her eyes as she simply grinned from ear to ear and answered, "YES! I'd love to!" Again, surprising both the Uminos.

"Well, it's about time!" scolded Ayame, who came out towards the front with a smirk on her face, "We thought you'd NEVER get around to it!"

Naruto and Kurenai both just laughed sheepishly, not knowing how else to respond. The excitement began to die down after a few minutes, as conversation went back to normal, with the exception of Naruto informing Kurenai that he would have a seamstress measure her to get exact measurements for her gown that evening, and all other arrangements would be taken care of on-site, so she had nothing to worry about. Apparently, Lord Shin and Lady Shijimi wanted to have a western-style gala, so Naruto would be wearing a tux instead of a formal kimono.

They all left the stand in high spirits, Iruka and Anko grateful that things were finally moving forward with the two of them, and Naruto and Kurenai excited about a first official date! Iruka and Anko invited the pair to their home so that they could start the preliminary celebration of the start of their two dearest friends as an official couple! Of course, until the day of the ball, they were still "unofficial"…at least officially…

* * *

><p><strong>Kurenai's stats as they stand at the end of this chapter:<strong>

**Ninjutsu: 4.5/5  
>Taijutsu: 4.55  
>Genjutsu: 55  
>Intelligence: 45  
>Strength: 3.55  
>Speed: 4.55  
>Stamina: 45  
>Hand Seals: 4.55  
>Total Stats: 34.540  
>Overall Skill Ranking: High A-RankBorderline S-Rank  
><strong>**Comparable to: Kakashi Hatake (after obtaining Mangekyo Sharingan), Hiruzen Sarutobi (at time of death when fighting Orochimaru)**

**(1) ****These concepts are explained in the textbook that is written in my story "The Discipline of Fuinjutsu". Please refer to this story for further detail and explanation.**

**And that's a wrap for Chapter 9! What did you think? Please review, come on, you know you wanna! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Yeah I know that I said Kurenai's improvements would be a little slower going after this, but come on...it's been four chapters, and it's taken that long for her to get to this level!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I must regretfully inform all of you once again that the state of affairs has not changed: our economy is still in shambles, crime is still seemingly on the rise, you will encounter many more naysayers than encouraging people in life…and I still don't own Naruto.**

**Thank you so much to those who have reviewed, offered suggestions, and left great fee****d****back. ****I'm a bit brain-fried as I'm writing this A/N, which is why I'm not including the sp****e****cial thanks that I would normally include…but this chapter was VERY hard to write, as I kept going back over and over and over it; I must have changed things five or six times chapter-wide. It's time to publish it; those of you who left me great reviews, you know who you are, and I'll be sure to give you a shout out next time. **

**In the meantime, please keep reviewing. All reviews (at least the useful ones)**** are greatly a****p****preciated, and they have been a great help to me to continue writing and delivering more material to you; please keep them co****m****ing!**

**And now, Chapter 10: A surprise or two at the Grand Ball!**

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><p>The date was May 2nd, and Naruto was currently in the Hokage's office with Tsunade, helping her with paperwork while she worked to teach him some of the finer points of political science and practice. Knowing that Lady Shijimi's birthday was only five short days away, and having received an invitation to the Grand Ball herself, she felt that Naruto should be her escort to said Ball. This led to a rather interesting conversation between the two.<p>

"Actually, Grandma, I received the invite a few months ago; Lord Shin asked me to MC."

"I see," replied Tsunade with some surprise, "But…what does this have to do with your ability to be my escort for the evening?"

"Well, you see…" Naruto began somewhat sheepishly, "…Lady Shijimi made it pretty clear to me that she expects me to show up with a real date or there'll be hell to pay."

Tsunade smirked at this, much to Naruto's confusion and consternation, "So…seeing as you're not…officially with anyone…" Tsunade's posture and tone became playful and teasing as she continued, "…whatcha gonna do, then, brat?"

"Already taken care of, Grandma," Naruto replied knowingly, causing Tsunade to raise an eyebrow, her smirk still plastered on her face.

"I was wondering when you'd get around to asking her out, Naruto…and I must say it's about time."

"So I keep hearing; I forget that this village has the best- and worst-kept secrets in the world."

Tsunade sighed at this, knowing this to be true. In Konoha, if people wanted to know something, they knew it, secret or not; what was sadder still was that Ino couldn't be blamed this time, nor could anyone else who knew of Naruto and Kurenai's feelings for each other firsthand. It was just so obvious to everyone who saw them out and about that it couldn't be hidden, even if it wasn't openly talked about. It was much like Naruto's ostracism by the village for containing the Kyuubi before all of the "secrets" surrounding him came out; everyone knew, but nobody could say anything. Even Naruto's own peers, for the most part, were able to put the puzzle pieces together and figure that out.

Oddly enough, nobody had found out about Naruto's heritage until it was made public by Tsunade, despite all of the evidence being right in front of everyone's faces every time they looked at Naruto. Naruto, for the life of him, couldn't figure how they all missed the Minato-clone walking amongst them, and neither could Tsunade. In the end, it was simply attributed to people just seeing what they want to see, and knowing what they want to know, often being too afraid to face the truth.

"Anyway," Tsunade said, breaking the few moments of silence, "Since you already have a date, I need to find one. It certainly wouldn't do for a woman of my stature to show up without one…"

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto, "Every man there would go ga-ga over a woman like you."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about; I have no desire to be ogled, leered at and pestered by every pitiful man without a date in the joint."

"Ahh…" Naruto conceded with a nod, "I see what you mean."

After thinking for a few moments, Naruto made a suggestion, "Well, if this is at least partly about making a good impression and appearances, why not ask Hiashi Hyuuga to accompany you?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow in thought at the idea, "Hmm…that idea actually has some merit to it. Hiashi's a powerful shinobi in his own right. He's probably the most 'lordly' of the Clan heads. Influential, politically-astute, imposing…able to keep annoying nobles and lecherous men away from me…" she turned to Naruto with a smile, "I'll ask him."

Without wasting any more time, she wrote a note and attached a copy of the formal invitation that she had received from the Fire Daimyo. The moment she was done, she cried out, "ANBU!"

A squirrel-masked ANBU that Naruto had never seen before appeared before Tsunade and knelt in salute, "Yes, milady?"

She placed the note and invitation in an envelope, sealed it, and stood, "Please deliver this to Lord Hiashi Hyuuga, and await a response; please do not leave without one, even if it's only to say that he'll think on it."

Taking the envelope being offered to him, the ANBU nodded, "At once, milady," before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto and Tsunade continued with the lessons and paperwork for fifteen minutes or so before Hiashi himself was announced by Shizune and sent in.

The Hyuuga Clan Head walked in, "Greetings, Lady Tsunade…" nodding his head at her before turning to Naruto and doing the same, "Lord Naruto."

Naruto smiled, "Lord Hiashi, pleasure as always."

Tsunade never did learn just how these two went from hating each other's guts to being civil and even friendly with each other. It was something that she always found to be rather curious, but chose not to ask, believing it to be out of place for her to do so. She was brought out of her musings by Hiashi's voice.

"Lady Tsunade, I came to tell you that I would be most honored to escort you to the Feudal Lady's Grand Ball. If there's anything you need from me, or if there's anything I need to know, I trust that you will inform me?" he asked politely.

"Yes, Hiashi…and thank you," she said formally, but the gratitude she was feeling was evident in her voice.

"If that is all…" Hiashi began before being interrupted.

"Actually, Hiashi, just to let you know," Naruto began, "Western-style formal attire will be expected."

"Meaning?" asked Hiashi, genuinely confused.

"Meaning, you will be expected to wear a tuxedo instead of a kimono," Naruto answered before turning to Tsunade, "And you will need a ballroom gown."

He then turned to address both of them, "I can make arrangements for both of you to be fitted for the proper attire, and it will be present on-site once you arrive. It's on me. Is that acceptable?"

Hiashi showed mild surprise before answering in gratitude, "Why, yes…I believe that will suffice."

Naruto turned to Tsunade, who answered, "Yes, thank you, Naruto."

"Alright, then. I'll have a tailor…" nodding to Hiashi, "…and a seamstress…" nodding to Tsunade, "…come to your residences in two days' time so they can take your measurements and have sufficient time to prepare your outfits for the night."

Hiashi asked, "Does this mean that you've been invited to the event as well, Lord Naruto?"

Tsunade answered on his behalf, "Actually, Naruto has been asked to _host_ the event, both by providing the Tanzaku Daimyo's Palace Resort, which he happens to own, as the locale, and by acting as the Master of Ceremony for the Ball."

"Indeed?" asked Hiashi with a smirk, deciding not to pass up the chance to tease the tall blond a little, "As I have been asked to escort our beloved Hokage, I assume that this means you will be escorting a lady, yourself?"

Naruto smirked in reply, "Indeed it does, Lord Hiashi. Indeed it does."

Hiashi's smirk grew as he could tell that Naruto was not taken aback by his teasing. He decided to try a more direct approach, "Well, I'm sure Kurenai will have a wonderful time with you, my friend."

Naruto chuckled as he responded, "Yes, I intend to do all I can to show her one."

Hiashi actually raised an eyebrow at this before letting out a chuckle of his own. He turned to Tsunade, "If that is all, Lady Hokage?"

"Thank you for your time, Lord Hiashi," she responded, dismissing him respectfully. Hiashi bade them farewell and went on his way, leaving Tsunade and Naruto to return to political science and practice lessons and paperwork.

* * *

><p>The last four days passed very quickly for Naruto and Kurenai; so quickly, in fact, that they got almost no training done at all during that time. Naruto woke up on the morning of May 7th with much more energy than usual. Even before dawn, he still couldn't contain himself. After all, today was the day that he and Kurenai would have their first official date! Naruto proceeded to go through his morning hygienic rituals with gusto, finishing within twenty minutes before heading to his back yard to just enjoy the early morning air.<p>

Kurenai, he knew, would be there at five like she always was. Wouldn't it be a nice change of pace to know that they wouldn't be doing any training today? Tsunade and Hiashi had agreed to meet Naruto at his home at seven o'clock, where he would have breakfast prepared for them, and then would transport them to Tanzaku, where they would all begin to prepare for the day. Naruto had to tell Tsunade the day before that casinos and booze were off-limits to her for the day, as it was too easy for her to not only lose track of time when gambling, but also lose track of time...and quantity...when drinking. Tsunade protested vehemently at first, but Naruto wouldn't budge. Telling herself that it wouldn't do for her to not look her very best due to lack of sufficient preparation time, or due to inebriation, the busty blonde accepted this with several grumbles and a pouty frown.

Five o'clock rolled around, and Kurenai arrived right on time. Entering the house, she saw Naruto not in the kitchen, but sitting in one of the loungers on his back patio through the back sliding-glass door.

She opened the door and greeted him with a face-splitting grin in a sing-song fashion, "Good morning!"

Naruto turned to her with a grin just as wide as he stood up, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her warmly, "And a wonderful morning to you, too, my sweet!"

After their mutual greetings to each other, they simply sat down on the backyard patio and enjoyed each other's company in the refreshing pre-dawn air. They simply made small talk with each other, talking about their excitement at what the day held for the two of them, among other things. Before they knew it, the sun was well on its way up, painting what few clouds were in the sky in a phosphorescent orange.

Naruto went inside and looked at the time, Kurenai following him in. When he saw that it would only be half an hour before Tsunade and Hiashi showed up, he began to prepare breakfast for four, Kurenai falling right into step and helping him. After he had prepared his and Kurenai's typical breakfast, tea, water and fresh juices were laid out on the table as the Front Gate Alarm Seal sounded, announcing his guests' arrival. Naruto created a shadow clone and sent it to the front gate to let Tsunade and Hiashi in.

Once Tsunade and Hiashi entered the house, both were quite impressed with what they saw. After Naruto had informed them that a tour would have to wait, as they were on a tight schedule, they both sat at the dining room table, salivating at the breakfast that Naruto had prepared for them.

"Naruto, you didn't have to go to so much trouble…" Tsunade began.

"It's no trouble…" Naruto responded, waving her off, "Kurenai and I eat like this every morning."

Tsunade showed her surprise by raising her eyebrows, then settled for expressing gratitude as the four of them began to dig in to the breakfast that Naruto had prepared, making small talk while eating. After they were finished, and Naruto and Kurenai cleaned the table off, Naruto took a few minutes to secure the house and the grounds before leading his companions to the teleportation seal array.

"Hold on; you might feel a little dizzy…" Naruto warned them as he made a half-ram seal. One yellow flash later, they were standing at the main entrance to the Daimyo's Palace Resort's grounds just outside Tanzaku town. Kurenai, Tsunade and Hiashi all looked a little green, but recovered after a few moments.

"Sorry about the disorientation," he apologized sheepishly, "The farther you use Hiraishin to travel, the greater the disorientation effect becomes until you get used to it."

They all nodded, accepting his answer. Naruto led them onto the grounds, and into the main facility. As they entered, several members of the staff quickly approached Naruto.

"Good morning, Lord Namikaze," greeted a middle-aged salt-and-pepper haired man in a three-piece charcoal-gray suit that they assumed was the director of the facility.

"Nagi, what have I told you about that?" asked Naruto with a mock-warning tone.

"Sorry, Naruto. Old habits, and all that…" smirked the now-identified Nagi.

"Yeah…an old habit that I've been trying to break you of before it was even a habit in the first place!" Naruto fired back with a chuckle and a smirk of his own.

Nagi chuckled in response, then immediately got down to business, "OK, then. Lady Kurenai, Lady Tsunade…" he turned to the two ladies, Kurenai raising an eyebrow at the way he addressed her, "…if you would follow Setsuna, here…" extending his hand to point to one of his female associates, a young, professional-looking brunette with piercing gray eyes and straight hair that stopped at the nape of her neck, "…she will show the two of you around the facility and assist you with completing your preparations for tonight."

Both of them smiled, Kurenai turning to Naruto, who nodded. Setsuna led them away to give them a tour of the facility and inform them of the services offered. Nagi then turned to Hiashi, "Lord Hiashi, if you would accompany me, sir, I can show you around and assist you."

Hiashi, surprised at the level of service he was receiving, looked at Naruto with surprised confusion. Naruto simply nodded with a smile. Nagi then led Hiashi on his own tour of the facility. Naruto made his way to the main office so that he could handle a few things while he was there as well as get an update on the preparations for the evening. He wanted Shijimi's birthday to go off without a hitch, and he also wanted to show Kurenai the best time possible tonight.

* * *

><p>Tsunade and Kurenai were in one of the seamstresses' fitting rooms getting final alterations and trimmings for their evening wear to ensure a perfect fit. Tsunade was glad for both Kurenai and Naruto, knowing that both of them were eagerly anticipating the coming evening. Tsunade couldn't help but smile at her companion.<p>

"So, Kurenai? Having fun, yet, hmm?" asked Tsunade slyly.

"Oh, yeah…" Kurenai responded dreamily, "…I've been looking forward to a real date with him for a long time, now. But, to tell you the truth, I'm also a bit nervous," she added somewhat hesitantly.

Tsunade responded with a knowing smile, "Yeah, I know what you mean. First dates are almost always like that, especially when they're with someone you really want that second date with…I remember the first time Dan and I went out together, and I felt much the same way you do."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Even though we knew each other very well, and we'd eaten lunch together several times before, there was just something about that 'first date' that just made it wonderful and added pressure at the same time. Kami bless Dan, our first date was a disaster…" Tsunade remembered with a laugh, "…he was so nervous the entire time that you'd think he was heading into an inquisition."

Kurenai laughed, herself, "Really?"

Tsunade continued her tale, "It was just dinner and a walk, but he kept stumbling over his words, fumbling over himself; he just didn't seem to know what to do. I almost punched him into the stratosphere at one point, telling him to either lighten up or take me home…" she recalled with a wistful smile.

Kurenai listened on as she continued, "Well…after he apologized…and told me about all of the 'spectacular dating advice' he got from his buddies…" Kurenai laughed at the way she said this, "…he was able to just let go and be himself. After that, things went much more smoothly. There **was** a second date, and several dates afterwards in case you're wondering."

Kurenai smiled, "I somehow guessed that. I remember when Asuma and I went on our first date as well…" she recounted, surprised with herself at how comfortably she could now talk about it, "…Asuma drowned himself in cologne to try to get rid of the smell of cigarettes."

Tsunade laughed heartily at this. Kurenai pressed on, "He was also nervous, but he was more worried about being pestered by our students than he was about what to do on a date. When we were at dinner, he was fine; it was when we were walking around the village that he'd get antsy. When I finally asked him what the matter was, he told me that he was trying to make sure that we avoided Ino…" Kurenai broke into laughter at this admission, Tsunade joining her, knowing exactly what Asuma was concerned about. He didn't want news of upcoming nuptials to spread before their first date was even over.

"Wow, I guess we all have 'first-date war stories' to tell," Tsunade said, and added with a teasing smirk, "I wonder what tonight's 'war story' will be…"

"Nope! No war story! Not tonight! It's going to be a fairy-tale first date with a perfect ending…" Kurenai responded, in mock-denial.

"Want to make a bet on it?"

Now, it was Kurenai's turn to smirk, "You've got yourself a bet! With your luck at gambling, now I know I've got nothing to worry about…" she finished with a laugh. Tsunade gave a good-natured laugh of her own as they continued getting fitted, and having their gowns altered and customized.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in the facility, Hiashi was being fitted…and refitted…and refitted, not for his tux, but for his trimmings. What style of vest and tie should he wear, and in what colors? Should he go for a vest or cumberbund? Should he wear a bow-tie, neck-tie or an ascot? For a man who had attended many formal events in his day, he suddenly found himself out of his element as this would be the first time that he ever had to adopt westernized formal wear.<p>

"First time in a tux, sir?" Nagi asked.

"Indeed, it is, Nagi…" Hiashi expressed with mild frustration, "…I'm not sure what the best ensemble would be for such an event."

"Might I make a suggestion?"

Hiashi responded by looking at Nagi expectantly.

Nagi took this as a cue to continue, "For trimmings, you can go with one of two methods: either your clan colors could serve as the scheme, or they could match one of your physical features, in this instance, a purplish-white to match your Byakugan."

Hiashi frowned in thought at this, nodding at the idea, "Thank you, Nagi. I believe that is what I shall do. Purplish-white trimmings."

Now all he had to do was select a style…and his frustration returned.

* * *

><p>The four of them gathered together for lunch at noon in the Dragon and Phoenix, as per Naruto's instructions. Kurenai, Hiashi and Tsunade were all a bit overwhelmed when Naruto ordered an enormous feast consisting of many of the Land of Fire and the Land of Whirlpool's most exquisite dishes. Naruto eased their spirits and told them not to worry about it, explaining that they were all his guests, and that as their host for the day, he felt honor-bound to treat them to the best that his facility had to offer. He, of course, had to remind Tsunade that she was not allowed to drink today, as she had tried to take advantage and order a few glasses of his finest wines and best sake. She seemed satisfied when he told her that he would personally have a bottle of each delivered to her home after they returned to Konoha, as he honestly hadn't considered that she probably didn't get many chances to partake of such fine wines or spirits very often.<p>

After Naruto had finished ordering and their drinks had arrived, Naruto broke the ice, "So, everyone properly fitted for tonight?"

After a series of nods all around, they started making small talk, discussing their morning activities and other things of little to no importance. They were interrupted a few minutes in by a surprising, yet very well-known voice, "Excuse me, but, might my wife and I join you?"

They all turned to see none other than the owner of said voice: Shin Katogane, Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire. On his arm was his wife, Shijimi, a much more familiar figure to all of them with how often she was in Konoha commissioning D-Rank missions to retrieve Tora, that demon-spawned cat of hers. Shijimi was in her typical blue skirt-suit with red blouse, while Shin was in standard business attire as opposed to the finery of royal state robes denoting his position and authority as the nation's ruler.

The four of them stood to greet their Chief of State. Naruto, with a warm smile, spoke for the group, "Lord Daimyo, Lady Shijimi, it's great to see you both…" he paused to gesture to two empty chairs at their table, "…please, of course, we'd be honored by your company! I already ordered a buffet-style lunch, so we'll have plenty of food."

"Thank you, Naruto," Shijimi responded in a warm, motherly way, as she put a hand on his arm and squeezed gently. Naruto turned to bow to Shin, but Shin simply extended his hand, "None of that, son. We're friends, here."

Naruto simply smiled, nodded, and took the hand offered to him, "It's good to see you, Shin."

"And you as well, lad," he responded warmly with a smile of his own before releasing Naruto's hand and greeting the rest of them one at a time.

"Hiashi, it's wonderful to see you today, my old friend."

"And you, sir," responded Hiashi with a bow and a handshake, "I am quite happy to be here as my Lady Tsunade's escort for the day."

Shin turned his attention to Tsunade, "And Tsunade, it's good to see you, and thank you so much for accepting our invitation."

"Not at all, Lord Shin," she responded with a smile, "Thank you so much for inviting me to such a personal affair. I haven't been dancing in quite a while, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the ball tonight…" at which she turned to Shijimi, "…and Happy Birthday to you, Lady Shijimi."

"Thank you, Tsunade," Shijimi responded graciously, "It is my hope that I can age as gracefully as you have…" she continued, not knowing that Tsunade's true appearance was masked.

Tsunade simply smiled somewhat irritably while Naruto interrupted, "But Shijimi…" he began somewhat exaggeratedly, "…you're already the most beautiful and radiant first-lady in all the Elemental Nations!" he finished as he kissed her cheek in a familiar manner, surprising the other three. They found themselves more surprised by the fact that her husband _wasn't_ surprised at this action.

"Oh…stop…" Shijimi responded with a blush and a wave of her hand, while Tsunade smiled gratefully at him.

"But he only speaks the truth, my dear!" Shin responded flirtingly.

"See?" asked Naruto, looking at her, while gesturing to her husband, "If it's one thing your husband and I both have in common, it is that we have extraordinary taste, in exquisite women of exceptional caliber…speaking of which, allow me to present…"

"…Kurenai Yuhi," Shin finished for him. He stepped forward, taking one of her hands in both of his, causing Kurenai to blush in mild discomfort at the attention being paid her by her Daimyo.

"Am I to understand that you are with our young Naruto, tonight?" he asked warmly with a smile.

"Yes, my lord, that's right," she answered as respectfully and as formally as she could manage.

"Then Naruto was indeed correct: he and I do share an appreciation for women of the very highest quality," he finished as he kissed her hand, causing Kurenai's blush to deepen. Kurenai looked at Shijimi, who only stood there with a smile…and what seemed to be a knowing glint in her eye, making Kurenai a little nervous.

Her attention was brought back to Shin as he asked her, "My dear, if you'll forgive me for bringing up what could be an awkward topic for you…I never did have the opportunity to offer you my condolences for the loss of Asuma Sarutobi…" he paid attention, looking for any signs of awkwardness, only to be given a grateful smile by the woman before he continued, "…of all the Guardian Ninja Twelve, both past and present, he and Chiriku were the two finest that I ever had the pleasure of knowing. He spoke very highly of you quite often, and as a dear friend, he is indeed missed."

Kurenai's smile grew at the grace that her Feudal Lord was extending to her. She couldn't help but shed a tear from each eye, "Thank you, my Lord."

"Please…today, it's Shin."

"Very well. Thank you…Shin."

Shin seemed to lighten up almost immediately as he added with a warm smile, "On a happier note, I'm quite happy to see that my boy, Naruto, here, has such a remarkable lady on his arm with which to share tonight's festivities!"

Kurenai's smile became a grin as she blushed once more and giggled, "Thank you, Shin."

As the greetings finished, they all sat down and continued engaging in small talk and banter, all of them laughing and smiling like old friends. Even Hiashi was much more relaxed than usual, as all of them seemed not to have a care in the world. Shin kept glancing at Naruto from time to time, as though he was trying to make sure he could pull him aside and speak to him at the soonest possible opportunity. Shijimi, on the other hand, continued to send glances at Kurenai, as though she was sizing the red-eyed beauty up, still with that same knowing glint in her eye. Within half an hour, the food arrived.

They were all quite impressed by the spread that was brought: several different herb-roasted meats, cooked in just as many different ways, with side-dishes of so many grains and vegetables that the table seemed to become alight with more colors than any of them could count. All of them ate quite a lot, the ninja noticeably more so than Shin and Shijimi. After lunch was finished, Naruto made arrangements to have portions of every dish transported to all of their homes so that they could continue to enjoy what was left over. It was just before two o'clock in the afternoon when they decided to continue their preparations for that night. Before Naruto could leave, Shin grabbed his arm gently.

"Might I borrow you for a moment, son?" he asked in a tone that was friendly, but denoted that he needed to speak to Naruto about a matter of great importance. As the two left to speak, Tsunade and Hiashi both went to their next scheduled stops – hair dressing and spa treatments, as well as cosmetics for Tsunade. Kurenai was about to leave with Tsunade, but was stopped by a gentle hand on her upper arm.

She turned to see a smiling Shijimi, who simply asked, "Walk with me, dear?" in a sweet tone that still seemed to command immediate obedience. Kurenai found herself following the woman to a private, secluded indoor grove that seemed to be perfect if one wished to ensure an absence of prying ears or eyes.

Once they had arrived, Shijimi posed the question, "So…if I might ask, what are your intentions towards our dear Naruto?"

Kurenai, to her credit, maintained her composure, although she began to sweat just a little. Noting that Kurenai was quite nervous, Shijimi raised her hands towards the jounin in a reassuring manner as she began, "Please relax, dear. I assure you, nothing's wrong. And there is a reason that I ask; I'm not simply trying to pry."

Kurenai relaxed a bit at this, though she fumbled over her words, "Well, milady…" she began, choosing to err on the side of being too formal, "…I have no…intentions, per se…but I do have hopes for a future with him…"

"Kurenai…" Shijimi interrupted with a smile, seeing that Kurenai was still quite nervous, "…it's Shijimi, not 'milady'. And please, don't be afraid to speak your mind…or your heart, for that matter."

Kurenai nodded, taking a few deep breaths to steady herself. Shijimi sat on a nearby bench, looking at Kurenai and patting the seat next to her on the bench. Kurenai took the invitation and sat down. Looking Shijimi in the eye and seeing reassurance there, she continued, "Shijimi, I love him with everything I am. I love him so much I can't put it into words; I love him so much that it makes me want to sing to the heavens themselves, and I also love him so much that it hurts at the exact same time. This is actually our first real date, and I think that we'll officially become a couple depending on how tonight turns out, but both of us have grown so close over the past several months that…well, I would feel empty if he wasn't there. He's such a mainstay in my life that…it's like he's always been a central part of it…does that make sense?"

Shijimi seemed to beam at this as she answered, "Oh, believe me, dear, it makes perfect sense! It's actually what I was hoping to hear. It's also not that hard to see that he feels the same way about you if what I saw at lunch was to be believed. But I find myself curious: Why haven't you…become an official couple before now?"

Kurenai explained the situation, as well as her concerns about her livelihood being affected by rumors due to not necessarily having sufficient skills to allow for an unsavory reputation to not affect receiving missions and assignments. She also told her about the advice she had been given by Anko, and about the training that Naruto had been giving to her. Shijimi's expression was very hard to read the whole time. She just seemed to be taking it all in.

Once Kurenai had brought her up to speed, Shijimi pressed on, "Kurenai…you may be in for a few surprises today."

"Surprises? What do you mean?" asked Kurenai, her nervousness once more coming through.

"Calm yourself, dear…" Shijimi chided gently, "…and allow me to offer you some advice of my own. Whatever happens today, just…go with the flow. But…the flow is probably going to pick up speed today, and you might need to throw a lot of the advice that you've been given up to now out the window."

Kurenai raised an eyebrow as she frowned in confusion. Shijimi answered the unasked question in a cryptic yet knowing tone, "Let's just say that I know things your friends don't know, and leave it at that."

With this, Shijimi rose from her spot on the bench and left Kurenai there. Before she left, though, she stopped and turned to Kurenai once more, "Remember…go with the flow…and go with what your heart tells you," and with that she left to find her husband.

Kurenai joined Tsunade in the spa shortly afterwards.

"Kurenai, where did you run off to?" Tsunade asked.

"Shijimi pulled me aside and…well…she asked me about my intentions towards Naruto. Then she asked me about our relationship and offered some advice."

"I see," Tsunade responded bemusedly, "well…what did she tell you?"

"She told me that I should…be prepared for a few surprises and that I should just…go with the flow, and with what my heart tells me…"

Tsunade raised her eyebrows at this, not expecting such advice to come from Shijimi of all people.

"I'm sure everything will work out; let's just enjoy today, huh?" Tsunade finished, though it was plain to see that she was simply trying to put her subordinate at ease.

Kurenai just nodded, her own thoughts racing a mile a minute, unable to get the conversation out of her head. What was supposed to happen tonight? Why did she need to receive prior warning that things might become a bit turbulent before the day was over?

The rest of the afternoon was a blur to Kurenai. She continued going through the motions of the afternoon's schedule as she received her hair-styling and facial, her mind unable to stop pondering the meaning behind Shijimi's cryptic words. Tsunade continued trying to calm her down and help her enjoy the afternoon of pampering and dolling up that the two of them were undergoing, and while it helped to some degree, Kurenai still couldn't get rid of the butterflies in her stomach. She had to breathe every now and again to calm herself: she was beginning to think that maybe making that bet with Tsunade wasn't such a good idea, as Tsunade did win, and win big, when bad things were about to happen.

Before she knew it, it was time to dress for the ball. Once they were made up with their hair properly styled, they were led to the fitting rooms where they were both assisted into their gowns for the evening. Tsunade, in a final effort to calm Kurenai's nerves, told the woman how radiantly beautiful she looked in her current state. This coming from Tsunade, a radiant beauty in her own right, and especially with her own current attire and appearance, gave her the confidence she was lacking once she began fretting about what might happen that night. Giving her a grateful smile, Kurenai calmed herself some more and reminded herself that worrying would not do her any good. The time to face the music would come soon enough, as their escorts would arrive to retrieve them momentarily…

* * *

><p>Hiashi and Naruto were both waiting patiently in the lobby of the gown alterations shop, ready to begin the night's festivities. Hiashi had gone with a bowtie and vest of white with just a hint of purple over a white blouse and a double-lapelled jet-black jacket and matching slacks and shoes. His hair was styled in a somewhat contemporary fashion, being pulled into a ponytail that began at the base of his skull.<p>

Naruto was dressed in the same style as Hiashi, who had simply adopted the style of Naruto's standard formal fare as his own for the night. Naruto's trim, however, was a bright red. His hair was gelled down and combed back, the slickness and shimmer of the gel in his hair giving him a debonair aura.

Both men dressed each other down upon exiting the fitting rooms assigned to them. Each had to admit that the other cleaned up rather nicely. Shortly afterwards found Naruto and his slightly shorter companion where they currently were, awaiting the ladies that they were escorting tonight.

"Nervous?" asked Hiashi, seeing that Naruto was a bit fidgety.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah…but not just first-date jitters, either. Shin pulled me aside and I haven't been able to get his conversation out of my head; that's really what's making me nervous…"

"If you don't mind my asking, what was it about?"

"I wish I could tell you, because it's killing me not to talk about it, but I'm afraid I'm sworn to secrecy until an announcement is made later this evening, Hiashi. Sorry…"

Haishi waved him off with a smile, "No need to apologize; as we'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, though, we have a ball to look forward to…and even though Lady Tsunade and I are only together tonight for appearances, I fully intend to enjoy myself while I'm here. You should, too, my friend," he finished with a smile.

"I don't think I could have said it better, Hiashi," came the voice of Tsunade, grabbing their attention. They turned to the owner of said voice, only to see the most stunning blonde woman they had ever laid eyes on. Both men's eyes widened upon seeing their Hokage.

Tsunade's hair was up in an elegant princess-style, held in place by several braids and jeweled clips. Her face was made up to show perfect, smooth skin with just the right amount of brownish-pink on her cheeks, a darker shade of brown around her eyes perfectly and seamlessly fading into the blush, with lips a bright rouge. She wore a strapless gown of satiny silver that accentuated her amazing figure while at the same time left nothing exposed except the barest hint of cleavage, and that only because of her sheer size. Around her waist, helping to cinch the gown, was a metallic-blue ribbon sash that was tied into an elegant bow in the back. The skirt was free-flowing, with pleats at the waist that turned into waves at the bottom, just enough to cover her high-heels. Her appearance and posture gave her the air of an enchanting matriarch, whose poise and power matched her beauty.

'_Still got it,'_ she thought satisfyingly to herself as she smiled at both men's reactions to seeing her. Despite this, she felt that Kurenai would steal her thunder the moment she walked out and presented herself.

"I must say, milady," Hiashi began, "I'm honored to have such a vision of loveliness and elegance on my arm, tonight."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade, you certainly are a sight to behold," Naruto added with a gracious smile.

Tsunade smiled, "Thank you…both of you. Naruto, to not call me…well, **that**…I **must** have made an impression. Gentlemen, might I also confess that the two of you both look quite dashing tonight, yourselves!"

After a brief pause on Tsunade's part, she added, "However, I will not be the belle of this ball, tonight…"

And with this, out stepped Naruto's date for the evening. Upon seeing her, Naruto's heart almost stopped, his breath catching in his throat and a blush crossing his cheeks. In that moment, nothing else seemed to exist in Naruto's world, Tsunade herself all but forgotten.

If Tsunade had the air of an enchanting matriarch, Kurenai had the air of a divine angel, as though mere mortals were too unclean to stand in the presence of such pure, holy radiance. A sleeveless, shoulderless halter-top gown of bright red silk, tied around the back of her neck, accented her already-exceptional bust and hugged her hourglass figure in a way that her typical bandage-style dress never would, showing every curve. Cut just low enough to make any man curious, but ending just high enough to give nothing away, she was the perfect blend of simplicity, sensuality and modesty, giving her a beauty that was…perfect, though even that word didn't seem to do her justice. The skirt of her own dress flowed as freely as Tsuande's, creating waves at the hem even without any pleats or folds, but where Tsunade's hem ended just off the floor, Kurenai's skirt folded over itself in a wraparound fashion in the front, exposing her legs to just below the knee on front, leaving nothing exposed in back except the heels she was wearing.

Her hair was fastened to the sides of her head, above and behind her ears, allowing it all to fall down her back leaving her neck and shoulders exposed; the wild-yet-kempt appearance her raven mane usually took replaced with thick, yet smooth, straight, silky, shimmering locks all flowing seamlessly. Looking closely, Naruto could see crimson highlights here and there, enhancing the shine of her hair.

Her face was perfectly made up to bring out the alluring beauty of her ruby orbs: blush of a dark rose color, eyeshadow of just a slightly darker tint, also fading seamlessly into her blush, and lips adorned in a rich, crimson gloss. Her gentle smile only seemed to accentuate the allure. Her own blush at seeing Naruto for the first time in formal attire served to enhance the effect even further.

Naruto unconsciously started moving towards the woman, as though drawn by some indescribable force. Kurenai's breathing began to quicken as Naruto slowly inched his way closer to her. When he reached her, he stopped, looking into her eyes, and brought a gentle hand to her face, brushing her cheek with only the tips of his fingers, causing Kurenai's breath to catch in her throat, unable to look away from the man in front of her.

"I've travelled all over the Elemental Nations…" he began in a far away tone, "…I've seen…spectacles of nature that would leave anyone breathless. I've witnessed phenomena that would change a person forever with their spectacular magnificence…but never have I beheld a sight as amazingly beautiful and radiant…as the woman before me now…"

Kurenai gasped and brought a hand to her mouth, tears beginning to run down her face. It would occur to her later on that she was incredibly grateful that her make-up was waterproof, as it would have run quite badly with the state she was in. So moved to tears was she that she didn't know what to say or do. Naruto smiled at her, the same faraway quality that was in his voice now also in his smile and gaze, as though she was the only thing that existed to him at that moment.

"Err…shall we?" he asked somewhat self-consciously, extending his arm to her. She smiled in gratitude and elation as she took it, allowing him to lead her to Tsunade and Hiashi so they could enter the Grand Ballroom as a party of four. Tsunade's face was also tear-stricken as she smiled wistfully at the two of them. Hiashi smiled at the pair, nodding approvingly. Kurenai noticed that she was currently standing at eye-level with Hiashi, bringing her height in her heels to about 6'1".

Naruto, without another word, led them out of the small alterations shop, Hiashi extending his arm to Tsunade and following the pair in front of them. After a short walk through the central promenade of the convention center, they arrived at the entrance to the Grand Ballroom, where Shin and Shijimi were waiting for them, to the surprise of everyone except Naruto. Shijimi was wearing a royal blue gown that could only be fit for a queen, however even she began to feel eclipsed by Kurenai's simplistic radiance. Shin was in a tux with royal blue trim in much the same style as Naruto and Hiashi.

Shijimi raised a bemused eyebrow upon seeing Kurenai, "Trying to steal the spotlight at my own birthday party, Kurenai?" she asked in an amused fashion.

"Oh…er…no, milady; I meant no offe…" Kurenai began to sputter.

Shijimi interrupted her with a warm laugh, "I'm only teasing you, dear. You look magnificent tonight," she finished with a smile.

"Indeed, you do," added Shin, "If I may, could you afford me the pleasure of a dance at some point tonight?"

Kurenai blushed and responded modestly, "Yes, Lord Shin; I'd be honored…if that's fine with Lady Shijimi?" she finished, turning back to said lady.

"Yes, that's perfectly fine with me…so long as I can steal a dance with your Naruto, here?" she responded in a playful, knowing, and almost saucy fashion.

Kurenai giggled and nodded with a smile of her own.

"So?" Shin cut in, "Shall we enter? The four of you will be joining Shijimi and myself at our table tonight."

"Thank you, Lord Shin," Tsunade responded, receiving a nod from Shin in return.

Shin led them all in, while the attendants in the room led them all to their table. Many guests had already been seated, and the room was alive with chatter: old friends catching up, new friends being made, some people even using the time to conduct business. As Shin and party were led to their table, however, the chatter began to die down, only to be replaced with a lot of stares in the direction of the party…both by men and women in stunned silence…in Kurenai's direction.

Naruto, noticing this, leaned over to Kurenai and whispered, "Didn't I tell you that you're radiant beyond words tonight? You've managed to silence an entire room just by being in it…" he finished by kissing her cheek slowly and sensually, causing the stunned stares to become envious glares before they returned to what they were doing.

As they were led to their table and seated, Kurenai leaned over to Naruto and asked lowly, "You knew what you were doing, didn't you?"

"Of course," he responded, "I certainly don't want people making you feel uncomfortable while you're here, so I just wanted to make sure that they know you're here with **me**."

Kurenai smiled and gave him a soft kiss directly on the mouth, "Thank you."

"So…first kiss, you two?" asked Tsunade coyly.

"First public kiss," Kurenai answered just as coyly.

"And many more will follow," Naruto added before leaning in to kiss Kurenai once again, leaving the other four occupants at the table chuckling and giggling, commenting on young love and such.

As the rest of the invitees were seated, the staff came up to Naruto, informing him that it was time to start. Naruto got up, went to a stage that was off against the wall opposite where the tables were situated, and introduced himself as the MC. Before long, he had commenced the start of the ball by announcing dinner. A lavish affair, dinner was brought and served by the waiting staff to the attendees in an efficient manner, the dishes so varied that they couldn't be described. One thing could be said of the meal: nobody was unsatisfied or disappointed in any way.

Music of varied easy-listening styles was being played by an ensemble both during and after the meal. Shortly after the dishes had been collected, Naruto took a moment between pieces to lead the audience in wishing Shijimi a happy birthday before opening the dance floor. Hiashi and Tsunade spent much of their time hobnobbing with some of the more influential figures there, while Kurenai and Naruto spent most of their time slow-dancing with each other, with the occasional cut-in by Shin and Shijimi. During one such cut in, Shijimi was making sure Naruto was prepared for events later that evening.

"So…you're going to do it…right?"

"Yes, Shijimi, I am."

"And, you're also going to ask Kurenai…right?"

"Yes."

"Did Shin show you the selection, and did you pick one?"

"Yes, I did…and I have it with me."

"Good. Just want to make sure you're ready, is all."

Naruto smiled, "I know…and I can't tell you how much I appreciate the generosity that you've both shown to me in letting me have this."

Shijimi smiled in turn, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek before responding, "Naruto…it's the least we can do for you, especially with how much you've done…for the whole world, and especially with what you've agreed to do for us today."

As the piece they were dancing to came to a close, Shijimi thanked Naruto once more, kissing him on the cheek again before returning to her husband. Naruto himself went to retrieve Kurenai to ask her a question that he had been nervous about all evening long. Made even more nervous by the fact that he had only a few hours with which to ponder what he was about to do, he concluded that it was probably just best to take a page out of his old playbook and charge right in, doing whatever came naturally.

Extending a hand to Kurenai, he asked, "Hey, can you come with me for a minute? There's something I need to talk to you about, and this is probably the best chance we'll have."

Kurenai frowned in confusion, "Ermm…sure, OK. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine; I just didn't expect to be starting the conversation I'm about to start tonight."

Kurenai added apprehension to her confusion, "OK…so…let's go talk somewhere…"

Naruto nodded, leading her out of the ballroom to a secluded spot in the foyer. As he stopped, he turned to her and just started blurting his thoughts out, "Kurenai, you know I love you…"

Kurenai nodded, beginning to feel even more concerned.

Naruto pressed on, "You know that I love every waking moment I spend with you…"

Kurenai brought a hand up to his face, stopping him, before asking, "Naruto, what's this about?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"Do you believe I wouldn't do what I'm about to do if I wasn't absolutely certain it was the right thing to do?"

"You're starting to scare me…"

Naruto fumbled around in his pocket and pulled something out. Once he had retrieved what he wanted, he dropped to one knee and extended the hand that was holding what he had retrieved, "I'm just going to come out and say it then. Kurenai Yuhi, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Kurenai gave the most intelligent response she could, "err…huh?"

* * *

><p><strong>And that's a WRAP! Well…what could have prompted such a turnaround from 'take it slow' to 'hurry it up'? What caused Naruto to go into high gear? What does Shijimi know that Kurenai's friends don't? All this and more, NEXT CHAPTER! Please review.<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Same as always…**

**As always, I'm very appreciative of those who've left reviews, and offered great feedback! Those reviews keep me writing, and they keep the chapters coming! That said, I am truly sorry that it's been this long since my last update. Life's been kicking my butt, and impinging on my time. So, please forgive this well-intentioned author, as I do like posting and making all of you – my FRIENDS – happy!**

**I know that I promised to make special note of reviews, but it is proving to be more and more of a challenge (you don't want my AN's being 1500 to 2000 words long, now, do you?)**

**One special note that I must make is for Tristan76: I don't know whether I should congratulate you for thinking along the same lines as me about where things are going, or whether I should curse you for SPILLING THE BEANS! That said, thanks for the review, and for all the ideas you've given me so far for this story (your suggestion for this chapter was already part of the original plan, but the other ones will be incorporated, and you'll be given full credit for them when they are).**

**Another special note for Shirabaka Tenji: he noticed "subtle references" to Negima in the last chapter (which I don't own, either, for disclaimer purposes). The funny thing was that the references were completely unintentional, but when he made mention of Nagi and Setsuna, I saw just how close they were to Nagi and Setsuna from Negima. We both shared a good laugh about that, as we thought it was hilarious that I picked two names, completely out of thin air, and made two characters that resemble those two (somewhat), again, just from thin air, and trying to make them look like professional hotel managers and event planners!**

**Anywho, on to Chapter 11: Revelations and Announcements!**

* * *

><p>"Will you marry me?" insisted Naruto once more.<p>

Kurenai blinked once…twice…and then a few more times in quick succession as she turned her gaze this way and that, trying to gain a mental hold on what was happening.

Naruto assisted, "I know this is an awful lot to take in…" he rose to his feet before he continued, "…but please know that I'd never just spring something like this on you out of the blue. I had every intention of proposing to you somewhere down the line, but certain…events…have been put into motion that made it necessary for me to bump up the timetable."

Kurenai's mind was awhirl, her heart racing like Kakashi and Guy on one of their more physical contests. She was currently experiencing the whole gamut of the emotional spectrum: joy that she was with Naruto, ecstasy that he loved her enough to propose to her, shock at being asked the last thing she expected to be asked at this stage in their relationship, anger for having been broadsided in such a manner with such a life-changing question, and fear of what possible events could be in motion that would require to have such a sense of urgency as to throw any kind of sense to the wind. It was almost like she was dealing with that old Naruto who used to just act on impulse before thinking anything through!

Looking into his eyes once more, she could see that his own heart was in just as much disarray as hers was, but…he was collected, and keeping himself calm. She could see that, despite what he was feeling, he knew exactly what he was doing, and he understood the gravity of what he was asking. In spite of the seemingly-nonsensical timing and delivery of his proposal, she still knew him well – something had essentially forced his hand in this. Maybe if she knew more…

"Naruto…" she began carefully before asking slowly, with wary curiosity, "…what brought this on?"

Naruto responded, "I'm afraid I can't tell you that, right now. I can only give you the whole story once you've given me an answer."

If Kurenai had been surprised before, she was positively stunned now!

Her nervousness giving rise to agitation, she asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Kurenai, there's no hidden meaning behind what I'm saying. I mean that I can't tell you…until I know your answer…" he responded, his own apprehension evident in his tone.

'_I've never seen him this flustered…'_ she thought as she observed him,_ '…it must be killing him to not be able to tell me anything, and as much as I know he loves me, I c__an only imagine that his whole world must be hanging on my answer…'_

Hoping to stall so that she could at least calm down and think things through, she asked, "Naruto, I do love you…" he began to look hopeful, yet terrified at the same time, "…and I know that you wouldn't put me in this position if you didn't believe it to be necessary…but, can I at least have a few days to think about this?"

Naruto shook his head vehemently, answering right away, "I have to know tonight! In fact, I need an answer before we even go back in there!"

Kurenai's eyes went even wider at this! What in the world could require such urgency about such an important decision? Blinking and looking this way and that once more, she brought her attention back to her boyfriend, "Well…err…can I at least have a few…minutes?"

Naruto nodded in response, "Yeah, I can…at least give you that much. Kurenai, I'm really sorry about this…"

Kurenai brought a gentle hand to his mouth to silence him. Bringing that same hand to caress his face, she responded, "Naruto, I know you wouldn't have done this if you didn't feel you needed to. You asked me if I trust you; I did…and I still do."

Naruto closed his eyes and sighed in relief, releasing tension he hadn't known had built up within him.

"Tell you what…" Kurenai began, "…why don't you go wait for me over there…" she gestured to an area back near where the main doors into the ballroom were located, "…while I…take my few minutes, OK?"

He nodded before leaving her with a kiss and going to wait where she asked him to.

Kurenai immediately began to start processing what she knew about the situation so she could make as informed a decision as possible,_ 'Alright, Naruto's asked me to marry him in the middle of our first date; he can't tell me why he's suddenly __become so urgent, but he's at least told me that much…'_

Her thoughts continued to race as she started reflecting on their relationship up to now, from the moment he first found her at Asuma's gravesite, shivering from cold and drenched from winter rain, through everything that had brought them closer and closer, to the crossroads where she currently found herself. As she reflected on all of this, she marveled at the realization that this had all happened in only four months! It felt like several years worth of memories had been crammed into this brief period of time.

This realization brought with it several more interesting realizations. Nothing about their relationship could in any way be defined as "conventional"! She was fourteen years his senior, she was his apprentice in the art that he had mastered, and his collaborator on a major project! He had gone from being a complete enigma to becoming her best friend in all the world, within a span of weeks! That said nothing of the emotional highs that she had experienced since all of this started.

But still…a decision of this magnitude? Could she give him such a quick answer? Would it be fair, or even right, to give him such a quick answer, even though he said he needed to know immediately? Everything about her sensibilities was giving her an emphatic "NO!" This was not a decision to be made so hastily, especially considering they just started "dating" tonight.

Her mind set, she began to walk over to him to give him her regretful rejection…when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. It came almost unbidden; it certainly hadn't come consciously. Through the mental chatter, through every reason she could give herself to turn down his proposal, one simple memory seemed to shout through…

"_Whatever happens today, just…go with the flow. But…the flow is probably going to pick up speed today, and you might need to throw a lot of the advice that you've been given up to now out the window."_

Kurenai gasped as she "heard" Shijimi say this to her once more, followed by…

"_Let's just say that I know things your friends don't know, and leave it at that."_

Her eyes went wide as she started to realize just what Shijimi had been trying to prepare her for! The last piece of advice from Shijimi before she had left Kurenai that afternoon suddenly silenced everything else in her head…

"_Remember…go with the flow…and __**go with what your heart tells you**__."_

'Go with what my heart tells me?' she pondered to herself. Her "sensibilities" told her to turn Naruto down, as accepting a marriage proposal so…seemingly carelessly…was just foolish, and could even be cruel if things went south down the road because they didn't think things through! But her heart…what was that telling her?

Her heart was **breaking** at the idea of the rejection she was about to give him. The idea of what she was about to put him through…it hurt, **terribly**. It started to break even more when she thought about how life would continue from this point on were she to reject him: the awkwardness that they would experience as they continued trying to work together…if they could even continue to do so. The idea of not having Naruto in her life saddened and terrified her! So then…what did the idea of accepting his proposal bring?

Her heart immediately came to life again! The overflowing joy that she suddenly experienced, not only at the idea of being with him, but even just the idea of making him happy at her acceptance, filled her with such happiness that she thought she might burst! And then, there were the images that immediately followed: their wedding, their life together as husband and wife, the joyful sounds of children running through their home, calling her "mommy" and him "daddy". Tears began to well in her eyes at these happy images.

"_Go with what your __**heart **__tells you."_

Clarity! She knew what to do! All hesitation gone, all caution thrown to the wind, she marched in his direction. As Naruto saw her coming towards him, he moved to meet her halfway. Before he could even get a word out, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled his head towards her own, and slammed her lips into his own as hard as she could, giving him the most passionate kiss they'd ever shared together!

After a few seconds, she broke the kiss. Naruto was in a complete daze, his mouth agape. She smiled at him joyfully and said, "Yes!"

"Err…wha?" Naruto asked, still stunned at the sensory overload that Kurenai had just given him.

"Yes! Yes, I'll marry you! Yes, I'll be your wife! Yes, I can't wait to be Kurenai Namikaze! Yes!"

Naruto shook his head to bring himself back to the present. Looking at her, he asked with a hopeful grin, "Really?"

"YES, ALREADY!" she yelled at him, her grin as wide as his own.

Naruto laughed exuberantly as he wrapped his arms around her body and started spinning her around, her own arms wrapping around his neck.

He stopped spinning her and exclaimed, "Oh, you've made me the happiest man alive!"

Kurenai simply continued grinning as he put her down, as he got the same object that was in his hands earlier. She realized that it was a jewelry box…that she was guessing contained a ring, but she then realized that he'd never opened it! As he opened it in front of her, she gasped when she saw it: the ring was not gold, or even white gold, but platinum! That said nothing for the stone that adorned the magnificent band: a brilliant pink diamond that seemed to fan into various shades of yellow and orange across the sides, and into red at the top. The diamond itself had been meticulously cut into the a shape that resembled the flame atop a torch, several smaller "flames" licking away across the sides and the top.

"Naruto…" asked Kurenai, barely able to squeak it out in her shock, "…is that…what I think it is?"

"Yes, it is," he answered as he placed the ring on her left ring finger, "This is from the Royal Jewelry Collection of Hi no Kuni."

She turned her gaze from the stone on the ring…**her** ring…back to her…now, fiancé, "What…does this…mean, exactly?"

"Well, since you accepted my proposal, I can now tell you the whole story. It started when Shin pulled me aside to talk to me after lunch…"

* * *

><p><em>Naruto led Shin into his office, a place where he knew that they would not be disturbed or overheard. Once they had gotten there, both of them sat in the chairs in front of the desk in the room.<em>

_Shin, with a grave expression on his face, began, "I need your help, son."_

_Naruto frowned at the Daimyo, "Of course, what can I do for you?"_

_Shin smiled sadly, "I'm afraid it's not as simple as just doing me a favor, Naruto…" seeing Naruto's confusing growing, Shin continued, "…you see, as the Daimyo of this nation, many of my decisions have not been made based on right or wrong, so much as on politics; some were necessary for the country as a whole, some…some of them I regret having made even now."_

"_Well, I'm sure you did what you thought was best at the time…" Naruto offered, not knowing exactly what to say._

"_That's kind of you, lad…" Shin responded, before continuing, "…but I can tell you that such is not the case…in many instances. However, I didn't pull you aside to rehash my regrets. The decision that I must make now cannot be politically-charged in any way. I have to do what I know to be right for this nation; far too much is at stake for me to do otherwise."_

"_OK, I can understand and respect that, and…I'm guessing that I somehow play a role in this decision you're making?" Naruto asked, hoping to clear up his confusion._

"_Indeed, you do, son," Shin answered, smiling at Naruto's astute mind, "When you become Hokage…I need you to begin training your successor right away."_

_Naruto raised an eyebrow at this. Shin, understanding the unasked question, answered, "As you know, Shijimi and I have no living children. As such, one of my brothers would ordinarily be next in line for the throne, but I cannot entrust this nation to any of them. They are either far too corrupt or far too lacking in talent: either way, they are simply not suited to the task of leading a nation. But there is a way I can prevent such an occurrence."_

_Naruto, whose eyes suddenly went wide, looked at Shin and began, "Wait a minute…you don't mean…"_

"_Naruto," Shin interrupted, "I want to name you as my son and heir. I want you to succeed me as Hi no Kuni's Feudal Lord. Do you accept this responsibility?"_

_Naruto was taken completely aback, not having expected this in a million years! He began to shake his head as he squeezed his eyes shut and open in rapid succession, trying to get a handle on himself at the sheer magnitude of what had just been asked of him._

_Shin, seeing his hesitation, continued, "I know it's a lot to ask, Naruto, and even though I know it isn't fair of me to ask such a thing of you on such short notice, I need your answer today. I can't afford to trust this to just anyone, and the truth is that you're the only man I know who I would feel safe entrusting this nation to. I ask you now, and with such urgency, because there is nobody else, and as I am beginning to age, I'm being pressured on all sides to name my successor so as not to leave a power vacuum once I either step down or die. I must know, Naruto, as I must make a final decision very soon, and I'd prefer to be able to make the preliminary announcement tonight, if possible. Will you do this?"_

"_But…being Hokage…" Naruto began._

"…_is something you're still going to do, as the position of Hokage will do much to prepare you for the duties and responsibilities that you'll deal with as Daimyo," Shin interrupted, responding to his objection before adding, "In fact, serving as Hokage is probably the best real-world training you'll be able to get for the political and administrative responsibilities that you will face as Hi no Kuni's Feudal Lord. So, again, I ask…will you do this?"_

_Naruto closed his eyes and weighed this decision against his motives. He wished to become Hokage so that he could protect those precious to him, and help the village to prosper, keeping it safe. Almost as quickly as his overwhelm came, a sudden calmness came over him. As the Feudal Lord, how many more people could he protect and keep safe? He could help not just a village, but an entire country prosper, now that he thought about it. He could also help the village even more from such a position, as he would hold even greater sway in determining who would become Hokage even after his own successor stepped down. He made his decision, hoping for the best._

_Looking Shin in the eye, he responded grimly, "I'll do it."_

_Shin visibly relaxed, "Thank you so much, my boy…" he responded with sincere gratitude, "…you have no idea of the weight you've lifted off of a tired old man's shoulders."_

"_You're…welcome, Shin," Naruto said with a smile and a nod, not knowing what else to say._

"_But…I'm afraid there's more to it than just accepting the responsibility of being named my heir. I can only name you my heir if you're in such a position to produce an heir of your own down the line…meaning, either you need to be in the process of courting and considering several different women of noble lineage as potential brides…or you need to be at least engaged…by tonight, I'm afraid."_

"_What?" Naruto asked in shock._

"_I am sorry, son…and I wish that I didn't have to put you in this position…but it's the only way that you'll be accepted as my heir, as you're not a blood relation to me, and my other blood relations will see this as a sort of usurpation of the throne that they believe to be rightly theirs."_

_Naruto sighed, understanding such a position. Tsunade had taught him well: he knew how politics worked, and that they were the breeding ground for the worst and most insidious forms of jealousy that man could imagine or produce._

_Despite this, he wasn't sure, and he made his doubts known to Shin, "There's a real good chance that Kurenai will turn me down flat if I propose to her today. Hopefully understanding my position will help her accept it…"_

"_No, Naruto," Shin interrupted firmly, "She cannot know that I've asked this of you unless she accepts your proposal. There can be no hint at all of any corruption in this decision; she can't know, because people will think, and rumors will fly at first, that she'll be doing this simply to grab power of her own. I know she's not one to do that, and I can clearly see that she loves you, but she needs to be in at least an ethical position to be able to defend herself against such accusations."_

_Naruto was taken aback once more at this, the chances of Kurenai accepting a marriage proposal tonight becoming smaller and smaller in his mind. Shin, seeing his turmoil, added, "Don't worry; Shijimi should be talking to Kurenai as we speak. If I know Shijimi, your chances of a favorable response from Kurenai are probably better than you think right now."_

"_But…if she still turns me down?" asked Naruto, dreading but already knowing the answer._

_Shin sighed, closing his eyes as he knew Naruto wouldn't like hearing what he was about to say, "Then, we find you a political bride, starting tonight."_

_Naruto balked at this, while Shin added, "I hope it doesn't come down to that either, son. But if it does, Shijimi and I will make sure that only women who would be suitable for you are considered, but as I just mentioned, she would have to be of noble lineage. We know that we're asking so much from you already, so we are committed to doing all we can to make this whole ordeal align with your best interests as much as we possibly can. If nothing else, please know that we're in your corner."_

_Naruto, already having committed himself, nodded in resigned determination. Shin, smiling in gratitude at Naruto's sense of duty, pulled a long, flat case out of his suit jacket. The case was covered in royal-blue felt. He laid the case on the desk and beckoned Naruto over. Naruto opened the case, and his eyes went wide at what he saw: Six rings – all of them platinum, each with a torch-flame shaped diamond resting on it, all in different color-schemes._

"_These rings…" Shin began, "…are from the Royal Jewels. Each of them is worth more than Konoha's entire treasury could purchase right now. And if I judged Kurenai's fingers correctly at lunchtime, these should fit her hand. Please…select one."_

_Naruto looked at Shin, his eyes agape once more. Shin simply gave him a knowing smile and nodded, letting Naruto know that he wanted him to take one. Naruto, seeing that pink diamond with the yellow, orange and red highlights in the stone, pulled that ring out of its place. Shin then handed Naruto an empty ring case for a single ring. Naruto put the ring in the case and closed it._

_Shin closed his case and returned it to his jacket. He then pulled Naruto into a fatherly hug and said, "Thank you so much, my boy. Thank you…"_

* * *

><p>"So, you mean…" Kurenai began, unable to finish the question she was trying to ask due to the sheer overwhelm she herself was drowning in at that moment.<p>

"Yeah…in accepting my proposal, you've also agreed to be the next Feudal Lady of this nation…" he smiled as he added, "…and you've saved me from what I would consider a fate worse than death, because I know that I'm now going to face my future with the woman I love, and not some stranger."

Kurenai smiled at this, her overwhelm seeming to dissipate to a degree. Even as overwhelmed as she knew Naruto had to be, he was still able to see a bright side through this and remain positive. The idea that he expressed, that she had…saved him from a fate worse than death…touched her in a rather intriguing way. It had been him that had "saved" her from her own misery, initially, but now, the idea that she saved him from future misery…she felt profoundly grateful that she could even inadvertently do such a thing for him. Then it hit her…

"Wait a minute…so if I had said no, then…"

"Then I would have had to end our relationship here and now, and accept a political bride. Apparently, that's just how politics on this level are…but…" Naruto paused and grinned, "…thankfully, it's a moot point, now!"

"You could have told me that little detail, you know," Kurenai said, a bit dangerously.

"Actually, the reason I didn't is because I was afraid you'd have figured out why I asked you…and as Shin told me, there couldn't be so much as a remote hint of my proposal to you being accepted as a power grab, or else problems would have arisen with Hi no Kuni's nobility, and Shin's distant relations, to the point where the nation itself could possibly be destabilized. That's why I didn't tell you."

She thought about it some, and realized that he'd actually paid her a compliment in believing that she would have the intellectual capacity to piece that together. Smiling, she kissed him once more, much more tenderly this time, as she stroked his face with her hand. Naruto smiled as he kissed her back, holding her to himself as he enjoyed her ministrations.

They separated and let each other go, Naruto offering his fiancée his hand with an ecstatic, toothy smile, "We should head back in; Shin and Shijimi are no doubt expecting the news by now."

Kurenai give him a toothy smile of her own and took his hand, allowing him to lead her back into the ballroom.

* * *

><p>"So where did the lovebirds go?" asked Tsunade, curious as to Naruto and Kurenai's whereabouts.<p>

"I'm sure they'll return momentarily, milady," Hiashi responded, hiding his own curiosity at their absence.

Shin and Shijimi just looked at each other knowingly, both of them seeming to be a bit tense. This did not escape Tsunade's or Hiashi's notice.

"Lord Shin, Lady Shijimi…is everything alright?" Tsunade asked them.

"Oh, we're fine…" Shijimi responded, "…just anticipating some news, is all."

Almost on cue, the main doors opened, and in walked Naruto and Kurenai, hand in hand, both with ecstatic smiles on their faces. They made their way back to their table, deftly yet courteously excusing themselves from those who tried to stop them to talk or mingle. As they made it back to the table, they sat down, still holding each other's hands.

"Well?" Shijimi asked them eagerly.

Both of them smiled ecstatically at her as Naruto gently took Kurenai's left hand in his right and lifted it forward into everyone's sight. Shin and Shijimi grinned wide upon seeing the ring on Kurenai's finger, while Tsunade and Hiashi gasped in overwhelming surprise.

"She agreed!" exclaimed Shijimi, jumping up and enveloping both Naruto and Kurenai in the motherly death grip that was famous for causing more D-ranked missions in Konoha than any other single oddity in the world. Naruto and Kurenai simply accepted the death-hug without complaint, both of them hugging her back and waiting for her to let go so they could breathe again.

As she let them go, the newly-engaged couple noticed that Tsunade and Hiashi had made their way over to them. Both of them stood up, and accepted Hiashi's warm congratulations, while Tsunade gushed proudly for the two of them.

"Lemme see the ring, again?" Tsunade asked giddily.

Kurenai brought the exquisite stone on her finger into Tsunade's view. As she began inspecting it, she noticed the quality of the ring…and the cut and color-scheme of the stone.

Gasping in shock, she snapped her head up, looking back and forth between the ring and Kurenai, and then to the ring and Naruto.

"Naruto…" Tsunade began, "…is that ring what I think it is?"

"Yes, it is…" Naruto answered, before looking to his right, "…and as to how I got my hands on it, I believe Shin's about to make an announcement concerning that as we speak."

They all looked in the direction where Naruto's gaze was pointing to see Shin on his way up to the stage.

"Good evening, one and all!" Shin began as he took the microphone, "And thank you all so much for celebrating by beautiful wife's birthday with me tonight!"

Applause followed throughout the room as the attendees wished to congratulate the lady in whose honor the party was being thrown. Shin gestured to his wife to join him on the stage. Shijimi complied and went to his side, taking his free hand in hers.

Shin waited for the applause to die down before speaking again, "As you all know, my beloved Shijimi is the love of my life and my perfect partner…" a cacophony of "aww's" was the audience's response, "…and without her, I would not have been able to carry on as this nation's leader for as long as I have. She has helped me…" Shin's voice began to break in a rare display of emotion as he gushed about his wife, "…in ways I cannot begin to describe. When each of our sons died, she was my comfort and strength. She enabled me to carry on leading this great nation, even through our own grief and mourning."

Shin took a moment to compose himself, "And as you all know…she and I no longer have any living children of our own…which is one of the things that brings me to make the announcement that I am about to make to all of you."

The room grew quiet as all present riveted their attention towards their lord. Shin continued, "As you all know, I am getting on in years, myself…and it won't be too much longer before I will need to step down as Daimyo and allow a successor to ascend the throne."

At this, the room grew alive with murmurs. Shin spoke up once more, "And…" the room grew quiet once again at his voice, "…I am sure that many of you are wondering if I have chosen said successor. I am proud to announce that I have!"

Seeing as he had the room completely enraptured, Shin began to describe and introduce his successor, "The man I have chosen to succeed me is the most worthy candidate I could imagine choosing to lead this great nation into the future! He is a hero of the highest quality and caliber! He is a man of great intellect, charisma, and humility! He is a man who has seen and endured the absolute worst that humanity could ever show to someone…and those experiences have tempered and strengthened his character into the mightiest steel! Without further ado, and I will ask them to join us on stage when I give their names, both Shijimi and I are pleased beyond measure to announce our new son, and the heir to my throne! When he does ascend, history shall be made, as a new royal dynasty will begin! Please join me in congratulating my adopted son and heir, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze and his fiancée, Kurenai Yuhi, who will usher in the end of the Katogane Dynasty, and bring about the beginning of the Namikaze Dynasty!"

With this, Shin and Shijimi immediately began clapping. The room followed their lead and broke into a thunderous standing ovation. Naruto took Kurenai's hand as they both stood up, and led her to the stage to join Shin and Shijimi. As they had arrived on stage, they looked out into the audience, and noticed that even Tsunade and Hiashi were displaying just as much excitement as the rest of the audience, both grinning widely and clapping enthusiastically!

Shin gestured to Naruto to say a few words. Naruto waited for the applause to die down before speaking, "Err…thanks so much, folks! I'm…honestly not sure what to say, right now…"

This garnered a few laughs from his audience as he continued, "I…I stand before you now…very humbled by the welcome that you're giving to me and my fiancée, here, as your future Lord and Lady. I'm also very grateful and very happy to be so well-received by all of you."

The crowd applauded once more. Naruto turned to Kurenai, who was still smiling from ear to ear, tears welling up in her eyes. When the applause died down, Naruto finished, "I can only promise you all, and I believe I speak for my love, here, as well…" he turned to Kurenai, who nodded in agreement, before turning back to the audience, "…that we will do everything within our power to lead this nation with the people's best interests in mind, both the nobility and the common folk, because it is all of you, together, that are this nation's strength! So, again…thank you for welcoming us. Thank you for trusting us and believing in us! We'll do all we can to prove ourselves worthy of such faith and trust. Once again, thank you!"

Naruto handed the microphone back to Shin, who took it. Naruto and Kurenai then used their free hands to wave to everyone in the audience in gratitude for the warm reception they were being given. They then left the stage and returned to their table, while Shin announced for the music and dancing to continue.

"Well…" began Hiashi with an enthusiastic smile, as the newly-engaged heirs-apparent arrived back at their table, "…it would seem that even further congratulations are in order!"

"Thank you, Hiashi!" responded Naruto and Kurenai at the same time, both still ecstatic at the events that had just taken place.

Tsunade moved forward and hugged the both of them warmly and tightly, "Congratulations, you two! I know that you'll both have a happy future…" she then turned to Kurenai and smirked, "…and it would also seem that you have a first-date war story to tell, after all…and probably the most unique one, ever, at that!"

"Yeah…" Kurenai responded sheepishly with a laugh, "…I can't believe I lost a bet to you, of all people!"

Naruto and Hiashi both raised an eyebrow at this.

"Bet?" asked Naruto, "Grandma…you made a bet against Kurenai and won?"

Tsunade nodded, still smirking.

"So what were the stakes?"

Both Kurenai and Tsunade grew wide-eyed at this before chuckling sheepishly. Kurenai answered, "Well, we never actually made any stakes…"

Naruto and Hiashi both laughed hysterically at this, followed by Tsunade and Kurenai laughing with them. The idea that Tsunade had actually won a bet was rare enough, but the fact that no stakes were involved, and she got absolutely nothing for winning, was just too ironic to ignore.

As their laughter died down, Tsunade approached the pair again, looking at Naruto with a warm, affectionate smile. She turned to address Kurenai, "Mrs. Namikaze-to-be…would you mind, terribly, if I stole my son for a dance?"

Naruto's eyes went wide as a slow smile crossed his face at Tsunade's reference to him. Kurenai smiled knowingly and responded, "Please, feel free."

Tsunade looked at Naruto, who simply offered his hand to the busty blonde, "Shall we…Mom?"

Tsunade smiled in response and took his hand, letting him lead her onto the dance floor. They both noticed that Hiashi and Kurenai followed them out and danced with each other in the meantime. Tsunade snuggled closer to Naruto and pressed against him. Naruto instinctively wrapped his arms around the woman.

"I can't tell you just how happy I am for you, Naruto…" said Tsunade, adopting a motherly tone that he had rarely heard from her, "…everything's finally falling into place for you."

Naruto just smiled and nodded, "Yeah…but I owe a lot to you, too, you know…Mom…"

Naruto looked up and off into the distance as he pondered the feeling of the word that he just uttered, "Hmm…Mom…it's not a word that I've used very much…" he looked at the woman in his arms and smiled, "I like the way it feels when I call you that; it feels natural."

Tsunade couldn't help but smile, "Yeah…you know, it's funny…even when we were at each other's throats when we first met each other, I still had maternal feelings and instincts towards you. I didn't even know it at the time, but they were always there."

Naruto laughed softly, "Is that the real reason you always hated it when I called you 'Grandma'?"

"Busted," Tsunade admitted shamelessly with a laugh of her own.

As the pair closed out their dance, they returned to their table, Kurenai and Hiashi following, along with Shin and Shijimi.

"Naruto? Kurenai?" asked Shin.

Naruto and Kurenai turned to the man, giving him their attention.

"I wanted to tell you: you don't need to worry about making any arrangements. As you are now our heirs, your wedding will be an affair of state, meaning that we'll provide for everything. As this will be a political affair, certain traditions will need to be honored, but anything you want for the wedding will be yours. All you'll need to do is send us word, and we'll provide everything you need."

Shijimi added, "We can have everything ready in as little as a few weeks, but if I'm not mistaken, Tsunade…" Shijimi turned to the current Hokage, "…I believe that you wanted to officially appoint Naruto as the Sixth Hokage at around year's end, did you not?"

"That is true," Tsunade answered.

"Well, then…" Shijimi turned back to the affianced couple, "…would you like your wedding to be held in the beginning of December? That way, you can go on your honeymoon and Naruto can begin as Hokage upon your return."

Naruto and Kurenai both looked at each other and just shrugged before nodding together at Shijimi's suggestion. Both of them had to admit to feeling relieved that they wouldn't have to make any of the arrangements, themselves.

"Perfect!" exclaimed Shin, "Then December first will be the date of your wedding!"

Both of them just shrugged and nodded again, deciding to just go along for the ride.

The rest of the night carried on in much the same fashion, with various people congratulating Naruto and Kurenai on both their engagement and their being named as heirs to the nation while giving Shijimi happy birthday wishes. Dancing, laughing and celebration continued throughout the night for all involved. As the party came to a close, Tsunade, Hiashi, Naruto and Kurenai all took their leave of the party, bidding a final goodnight to Shin and Shijimi.

* * *

><p>Naruto immediately flashed them all back to Konoha's main gate. They all found that it wasn't nearly as discomforting on the return trip. As they entered the gates, they were greeted by the gate guards and welcomed back. As they were all in their formal attire, still, Naruto elected to carry Kurenai bridal style from the main gate to her home.<p>

Kurenai, while pleasantly surprised, found herself curious, "So, how come you want to carry me this way?"

"Because I want to show everyone I can that I have the most beautiful fiancée that has ever graced this world!" Naruto exclaimed enthusiastically.

Kurenai smiled warmly and blushed at his excitement, and the esteem in which he held her. She had always known that she was beautiful, but she had never been particularly vain about it, preferring to use it more as a ninja tool to accomplish missions or distract her adversaries. To hear the amazing man in whose arms she was being carried express such a thing was still something that she was getting used to, and it still brought a flush to her face.

Hiashi and Tsunade simply smiled at the pair as they walked. Before long, the two couples parted and went their separate ways, bidding each other good night. Hiashi and Tsunade teleported away, while Naruto proudly walked through the village in his tux, strutting like a peacock, while carrying Kurenai in his arms as she was still in her evening gown. All whom they passed performed double-takes at the pair before reacting: some with jealous glares, some with warm greetings, some with knowing smirks.

"Naruto? Kurenai-sensei?" they heard a familiar male voice calling out. They both turned in the direction of the voice to see Kurenai's former student, Kiba Inuzuka, accompanied by his ever-faithful companion Akamaru.

"Kiba! Akamaru!" Naruto greeted them happily, "It's been too long, you two! How are ya?"

Akamaru barked in response while wagging his tail.

"Hello, Kiba!" exclaimed Kurenai, with an enthusiasm that he had rarely seen on her.

Kiba smiled in response at the two, "Wow, sensei…I don't think I've ever seen you look more beautiful!"

"Why, thank you," she responded with a smile at his genuine praise.

"I'm only telling the truth…" he turned to Naruto with a smirk, "…and you clean up OK, too, Naruto."

Naruto chuckled, "Thanks, Kiba; glad you think so."

"Well…" Kiba continued, "…it seems the rumors have been confirmed, after all! You two really do like each other! So, are you two officially dating now or what?"

"Actually, Kiba…" responded Kurenai as she raised her left hand, showing him the ring on her finger, "…we're past the dating stage!"

"**WHAT?"** Kiba couldn't have been more surprised if he'd learned that Akamaru was really a cat. He stared at the ring on Kurenai's finger, and looked back and forth between his former sensei and the man who was currently carrying her, and finally resting his eyes on Kurenai's engagement ring once again.

"That's quite a rock you've got there," Kiba admitted as he shook his head to collect his thoughts before turning his attention to Naruto, "Hey, Naruto, could you put her down for just a minute?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow and looked at Kurenai. Kurenai just shrugged. Naruto gently placed her on her feet.

Kiba proceeded to rush his sensei and envelop her in a big bear hug and spun her around, "Congratulations, sensei!"

Kurenai just laughed as he spun her, wrapping her own arms around him in a hug as well. He stopped spinning her, brought her back down to her feet, and let her go before turning to Naruto.

"Buddy…" Kiba began with a smile, "…after all the crap you've been through, especially with what happened during the war, I couldn't be happier for you! I'm glad that you and Kurenai have been able to make each other happy!"

Kiba grabbed Naruto in a man-hug that Naruto gladly returned. When they separated, Naruto smiled warmly, "Thanks, Kiba; that means a lot. Actually, since you're here…how would you like to be one of my groomsmen?"

Kiba smiled, "Thanks, man! I'd be honored!"

Naruto nodded, and Kiba turned back to Kurenai with a more subdued tone, "Sensei, it's good to see you smiling again. I know that things…hadn't been the same for you since…well…"

"It's OK, Kiba. It doesn't hurt so much, anymore…and because of Naruto, I'm actually a lot more comfortable talking about it, now," she reassured him, sensing his nervousness at broaching her past heartaches.

"OK…well, I know that you were so unhappy and hurt since Asuma-sensei died and you lost Asumaru. I just wanted to say that it's really good to see you this happy, and I'm really, really happy for you that you have a great guy like Naruto, here."

Kurenai smiled and moved forward, kissing Kiba on the cheek, "Thank you, Kiba. It's nice to actually be excited about the future instead of apathetic toward it."

Kiba smiled once more, "Well, I'll let you two go for now. Congratulations, again!"

Akamaru barked before running up and licking Kurenai once on the face, followed by Naruto. Both of them laughed and scratched Akamaru's head. Kiba mounted his dog and the pair of them sped off. Naruto scooped Kurenai into his arms once more and continued his strut through the village.

Kurenai then thought of something, "Hey, Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's drop in on Iruka and Anko."

Naruto smiled, "Yeah! I need to ask Iruka to be my best man!"

"And likewise, I need to ask Anko to be my matron of honor."

Naruto immediately took to the rooftops and sped towards the Uminos' apartment to give them the news, both of their impending nuptials, and their impending ascension!

* * *

><p>"<strong>WHAT?"<strong> Shizune burst out in complete shock as she stopped what she was doing. She was in Tsunade's bedroom, helping Tsunade out of her gown, which was apparently harder to get out of than it was to get into.

"That's right, Shizune!" Tsunade confirmed with a grin, "Naruto and Kurenai are now officially engaged to be married on December first of this year!"

Shizune collapsed into the seat behind her, unable to support herself under the weight of her surprise, trying to reel her thoughts in, 'Naruto and Kurenai are ENGAGED? Dating, I saw coming, but ENGAGED?'

"Shizune, lighten up…" responded Tsunade, "…you'd think you were just told that the world came to an end, or something."

Shizune just continued trying to process the idea of Naruto's and Kurenai's engagement while Tsunade got out of her gown and prepared herself for bed.

* * *

><p>"<strong>WHAT?"<strong> Iruka and Anko burst out at the same time in complete shock. Naruto was standing just outside their doorway with Kurenai still in his arms, both of them still in their evening wear.

"Yep! We're getting married!" exclaimed Naruto as Kurenai showed off the ring on her finger. Both Iruka and Anko seemed hypnotized by the beauty of the stone on her hand. Surprisingly, it was Iruka who knew what the quality and cut of the diamond represented.

"Naruto, is this ring from the Royal Collection?"

"Why, yes it is," replied Naruto with a smirk.

"And what service did you perform for the Feudal Lord for him to give a piece like that to you?"

"Well…" Naruto began before changing his train of thought, "…actually, can we come inside so I can tell you behind closed doors? I don't want to inadvertently start spreading rumors."

Anko and Iruka both stepped aside, allowing Naruto entry. Naruto stepped inside with Kurenai before they closed the door. Naruto put Kurenai down, only for her to pout at him mockingly. With reassurances that he would pick her right back up when he was done with something, she smiled once more. Naruto placed and activated a silencing seal in the Uminos' living room before returning to his bride-to-be, kissing her in front of Anko and Iruka for the first time, and picking her back up. He moved to the loveseat in the living room and sat down, setting Kurenai side-saddle on his lap. Anko and Iruka sat next to each other on the couch adjacent and looked at them pointedly.

Naruto explained, "Well, you're probably not going to believe this, but it'll be public knowledge in a few days, anyway, so I'll just tell you: the reason I was able to give Kurenai a ring from the Royal Collection is because, as of tonight, I'm the official heir to Hi no Kuni's Throne!"

**"WHAT?"** Iruka and Anko yelled once again, denoting even greater surprise.

"He's not kidding," Kurenai added, "He and I are to be the next Lord and Lady of this nation, and he will apparently be using the office of Hokage as a training ground of sorts to prepare him for the duties of a Daimyo."

Iruka and Anko both just sat there, wide-eyed and stunned.

Naruto and Kurenai sat there looking at the two, who just blinked and stared…and blinked and stared.

"I think we broke them," Naruto joked to Kurenai, who giggled and nodded.

The other two shook their heads, collecting their thoughts as Iruka responded, "Well…wow! What do you say to something like that?"

Naruto smiled, "Well, how about I ask you a favor that you can say something to: Iruka, will you stand up with me as my best man?"

Iruka grinned widely at this, tears welling into his eyes, "Are you sure? You really want me as your best man?"

Naruto nodded, "I can't think of anybody who'd be more suited for it."

Iruka took a few moments to compose himself before answering, "Naruto, I'd be delighted and honored to stand up with you on your wedding day!"

"Awesome!"

"And Anko," Kurenai interjected, "Will you be my matron of honor?"

Anko yelled for joy, jumped out of her seat and hugged Kurenai, almost knocking her out of Naruto's lap, yelling in one breath, "OF COURSE OF COURSE OF COURSE!" while jumping up and down, still hugging Kurenai, who hugged her best female friend in turn. Anko calmed down after a few minutes and returned to her place beside Iruka.

"And to let you both know…" Kurenai continued, "…December first is the big date."

"Six months?" asked Anko with some confusion, "Are you sure you're not going to need a little more time than that to plan and make all the arrangements?"

"Already taken care of…" Naruto answered, "…as the 'Crown Prince' of this country, our wedding is going to be a state-sponsored event of great political significance. Lord Shin and Lady Shijimi are making all the arrangements. All we need to do is tell them what we'd like to have added to our wedding."

"Wow…" Iruka responded, "…that's quite a deal!"

Naruto and Kurenai nodded in response. The conversation between the two couples continued well into the night, talking about everything from what colors Naruto and Kurenai might want for the wedding to what the two of them planned to name their kids. Oddly enough, they found it both comforting and discomforting at the same time to talk about their future in such a manner. As the night wore on, Naruto decided that he had to take Kurenai home so that the two of them could get back to training in the morning, as well as preparing to deal with the inevitable fallout that the news would produce in both of their lives.

* * *

><p>After they had left the Uminos' home, Naruto resumed his bridal carry of Kurenai. Taking back to the streets, he continued strutting through town like a peacock, once more feeling prouder than he ever had before. Kurenai resumed her face-splitting grin as they greeted passersby wishing them both well. Before long, another voice that Naruto and Kurenai rarely heard nowadays grabbed their attention.<p>

"Well, if this isn't the most youthful scene I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing!"

"Guy?" Kurenai exclaimed as both she and Naruto looked in the direction of the voice to see none other than the bowl-cut, spandex-clad Green Beast of Konoha himself…with Kakashi in tow!

"Well…" Kakashi began with an eye-smile, "…we would ask how you are, but seeing the smiles on your faces, we can hazard a guess that you're both doing rather well at the moment."

"Indeed, we are, Kakashi-sensei, Bushier-Brow-sensei!" he nodded to each as he greeted them, "My **fiancée** and I are doing wonderfully!"

Kurenai nodded in accordance with what Naruto said.

"**WHAT?"** Guy and Kakashi yelled out together at the top of their lungs.

Naruto and Kurenai laughed together before Kurenai responded to them, "We've been getting a lot of that, tonight."

"Yeah, we have. Honey…" Naruto said turning to Kurenai, "…show them the ring."

Kurenai didn't waste any time complying. She raised her hand and showed the band on her finger to her colleagues. Both of them were instantly right in front of her, looking closely at the ring.

"I've never seen a stone cut like that, before," Kakashi observed.

"Nor I," Guy agreed, before his adrenaline-induced "flames of youth" suddenly became a-light in his eyes, "GRRAHHHH! KAKASHI, I THINK I'M REPLACING YOU WITH NARUTO AS MY ETERNAL YOUTHFUL RIVAL!"

Kakashi just looked on for a few moments before turning toward his friend, "Hmm? Did you say something, Guy?"

"CURSE YOU FOR BEING SO HIP AND COOL, KAKASHI!" Guy yelled at the top of his lungs, the backdrop of waves crashing into a cliff appearing in all of their sights.

"Rrrightt…" offered Naruto, "Well, hey guys, we gotta run. Oh…and Kakashi-sensei, I'd like for you to be one of my groomsmen."

"Oh, err…well…" Kakashi began to object, before he felt a strange, unfamiliar form of killing intent coming from Kurenai.

"You will accept the honor that my fiancé has offered you, Kakashi…" Kurenai began with a sickeningly sweet, closed-eyed, toothy smile, though Kakashi could have sworn that he saw the Shinigami's face behind her, "…the wedding date is the First of December, and you will not be late, nor will you get lost on the Road of Life…or your cold, dead corpse will be found on it."

Sweating bullets, Kakashi nodded so quickly that his head seemed to blur, and Naruto wondered if he might accidentally break his own neck.

Kakashi turned to Guy, "So…what was our next youthful challenge? An eating contest?"

Guy immediately lit up, "I KNEW THAT YOU WERE STILL WORTHY TO BE MY RIVAL, KAKASHI! AN EATING CONTEST IT IS, THEN! AND IF I CAN'T EAT MORE THAN YOU, THEN I'LL WALK 1500 LAPS AROUND THE VILLAGE ON MY HANDS!"

Kakashi and Guy both made hasty exits: Kakashi to get away from Death Incarnate in Kurenai, Guy to get the eating contest started as soon as possible.

Naruto looked at Kurenai, "You know, that's a really handy little technique you've got there. I know it isn't genjutsu, because there was no chakra involved, so how do you do it?"

Kurenai simply shrugged, "I don't know…this is the first time I've ever done it, and I just did what felt natural in the moment."

Naruto nodded and smiled, "Well…I think you've just found a way to deal with any detractors who might try to give you a hard time about us."

Kurenai grew thoughtful at that as a slow smile crossed her face, "Hmm…I think you're right, dear. I'll keep you posted as to how it goes. As for now, though, I think you should get me home."

"Indeed, my queen. Indeed," replied Naruto, as he walked through the streets, brought Kurenai to her home and left her with a kiss, and assurances that they would see each other for tomorrow morning's training.

* * *

><p>"<strong>WHAT?"<strong> Hinata, Tenten and Neji all exclaimed together. They were currently in Hiashi's office, where Hiashi had just told them the news both of Naruto's engagement and his inherent ascension to the position of Hi no Kuni's Crown Prince.

Hiashi continued with his Hyuuga-like smile, quite different than the genuine smile he had shown to Kurenai, Tsunade and Naruto earlier that night, "All I have said is true. The Hyuuga Clan, as a result, will extend official congratulations to the new couple, and the new heir-apparent."

Tenten and Neji both seemed to smile in wonder at the news. They knew that it would only be a matter of time before the two of them started dating, but even with what Neji had said to Naruto on Victory Day about popping the question, they still found the news of engagement surprising. They found the news of his being named the Heir to their nation's Throne even more surprising. Both, however, were quite happy for their friends.

Hinata, however, was even more surprised than Neji and Tenten, and her surprise wasn't coupled with happiness in the least. She felt anguished, furious…and betrayed, and the near-horrified grimace on her face caused alarm to the other three Hyuugas that were present. She immediately got up and ran out of the office, moving in the direction of her room at a frantic speed she had not displayed since before the war.

Hiashi, Neji and Tenten all developed horrible, sinking feelings in the pits of their stomachs. There were all hoping that Hinata wouldn't do something impulsive in her current state, but fearful that she might. Putting that aside for now, Hiashi turned to Neji and Tenten and asked them if they could inform Konohamaru and Hanabi of the news before dismissing them for the night. As they left, Hiashi started to ponder how best to keep his estranged and embittered daughter in line to keep her from doing something foolish.

* * *

><p>After closing and locking her bedroom door, Hinata flung herself onto her bed and began to sob uncontrollably. Never having felt so betrayed in her life, even when Naruto had ended their relationship, she was at a loss as to what to feel, or what to do.<p>

'How could Naruto do this to me? How could he be so cruel as to pursue a relationship with the woman that's been like a mother to me? How could Kurenai do this to me, knowing what Naruto and I had? Why do people I love and care for always do things like this to me?' Hinata thought bitterly, the betrayal she felt at the two people she loved the most threatening to tear what was left of her heart asunder.

After having cried herself out, Hinata resolved that she would confront the two of them about what had happened. She knew from Neji and Tenten that Kurenai was always over at Naruto's house for training and for her apprenticeship. She would doubt the truth of the claim that she was only there for training and instruction, except for the fact that Neji and Tenten were also over there every single day.

Deciding that enough was enough, she would be sure to go to Naruto's home tomorrow while both of them were there and get to the bottom of this matter…and may Kami help them both if she didn't like the answers she got from them!

* * *

><p><strong>Wow! Lots going on in this chapter!<strong>** What awaits our newly affianced couple? And what will Hinata say? What will she do? Only time will tell! Please, my friends, review! Reviews encourage me! They get the creative juices flowing a whole lot faster! They let me know that you guys are my FRIENDS! Come on, people! Review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Same as every other chapter! I don't own Naruto!**

**It's been a while, I know, and I apologize for the delay. This chapter was the hardest yet to write, and I'm still not sure I did it justice – I'll leave you to decide that, my friends! Updates may continue to be a bit on the slow side, but I am attempting to pick up speed once again. Whatever does happen, you will get your updates, I promise: be it immediately or eventually…this story will be completed! And there's still plenty more to tell to this tale!**

**That said, onward to:**

**Chapter 12: What Does It Mean to Really Know Someone?**

* * *

><p>Four o'clock came far too early for Naruto the following morning. He was exhausted. What was originally intended to simply be his and Kurenai's first date at a nice venue, courtesy of an influential friend's invitation…had turned into his accepting the responsibility of becoming Hi no Kuni's next ruler, and the night of his engagement to the woman he loved! He didn't remember ever being this tired, even the day after major battles during the war!<p>

'_Matters of the heart; they sure can take a lot out of you…'_ he thought to himself.

'_I wonder if Kurenai's as exhausted as I am, right now? If she is, we're def__initely taking today off; neither of us needs to be training if we're this tired. I may make this a light study day, or just a 'let's hang out and do nothing' type day,'_ he mused with a smile.

Dragging himself out of bed, he began waking himself up with his shower and morning rituals while sending a shadow clone downstairs to start preparing breakfast. As tired as he was, it took him longer than usual this morning. Once he was done by around quarter to five, he was in his usual outfit of crimson long-sleeve shirt, bleached-blue loose-fit jeans and ankle-high brown leather lace-up boots. He also wore his jounin vest and his crimson-with-black-flames Sage Cloak. He wore his black Konoha headband across his forehead in his typical style.

When five o'clock came around, Naruto was in the kitchen having picked up where his shadow clone left off. Kurenai came through the front door like clockwork, but like him, she was also dragging. When he saw her, she was wearing one of the outfits they had bought from Aina a while back: cream-colored, form-fitting blouse, skin-tight, elastic jet-black cotton pants, and black, low-top zip-up high-heel boots. Her black Konoha headband was around her neck, this morning, as she had decided to leave her hair free. She was still wearing the make-up she'd had on from last night, and surprisingly, it was still intact.

With a sleepy smile, she groggily mumbled, "Good morning, my husband-to-be."

Naruto smiled softly, seeing that she was just as tired as he was. He found it very endearing, for some reason.

"Good morning, my bride-to-be," he greeted in turn, with little more energy than she had uttered hers.

"I was thinking…" Naruto continued, "…that since we're both exhausted, we can skip physical training, today, so that we can rest. We can pick that back up, tomorrow. So…today's going to be a light day: some fuinjutsu work, but mostly just us resting, relaxing and recovering our energy."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful…" his ruby-eyed fiancée droned out blissfully as she made her way over to the breakfast table and sat down, still smiling wistfully.

'_All is right with the world, right now…'_ she mused to herself contentedly while switching her gaze back and forth between the exquisite ring on her finger and Naruto preparing breakfast. Breakfast was a comfortably quiet affair, as both of them were too tired to be talkative. Simply content to be in each other's company, they accepted and enjoyed the silence.

Upon finishing breakfast, Naruto brought Kurenai into his music studio and just started playing random pieces and tunes on several of his various instruments for her while they just chatted and joked about anything and nothing at all. When eight o'clock rolled around, the alert seal at the front gate went off. Not expecting company, Naruto told Kurenai to stay where she was while he proceeded to the main level, then out to the front yard towards the gate. The front gate opened as Naruto approached, revealing none other than Hinata Hyuuga, directing a cold glare right at him! Unlike the times where she was usually with a contingent of Hyuuga Branch-family guardsmen, this time, she was alone.

"Lady Hyuuga…" Naruto began warily, her own eyes narrowing in response to the way he addressed her, "…what can I do for you?"

Her cold glare seemed to harden. She responded after a few seconds' silence, "Of all the people…of anyone you could have gotten involved with…why?"

Knowing exactly what she was asking but unable to believe the woman's audacity, Naruto's own expression began to harden as he asked firmly, "Excuse me?"

"Why her, Naruto?" she yelled angrily, "After throwing me aside the way you did…what, do you feel the need to add insult to injury by taking the woman who's been like a mother to me since I was ten?"

"Hinata, who the hell do you think you are, huh?" he interrupted her just as angrily, "After the way I threw you aside? I didn't throw you aside; you heartlessly destroyed our relationship by aborting our child without so much as giving my feelings about it a moment's consideration!"

Hinata began to shed anguished and enraged tears at Naruto's words, her jaw clenching as her teeth grinded against each other. Naruto continued, "Anyway…" quickly getting a hold of himself, "…that's water under the bridge, now! Who do you think you are, suggesting that my relationship with Kurenai has anything at all to do with you?"

"You don't deserve her!" she yelled in response at the top of her lungs.

"I believe that's my determination to make, Hinata…" Kurenai's voice entered the conversation, her tone firm and determined. They both turned to see Kurenai walking up to them, her own firm glare in place at the Hyuuga heiress, "…and mine, alone. And by my determination, there isn't a man who deserves me more than Naruto does; if anything, I don't deserve him!"

"Kurenai-sensei…" Hinata said through her tears, "…why would you do this to me? Help me understand why…this!"

Kurenai responded, raising her own voice, "Hinata, there's nothing hidden or sinister to uncover! Like Naruto said, what makes you think that our relationship has anything to do with you? We happened to have a chance encounter out and about, we went to lunch, he started training me, and we also started a project together. Things just progressed over the months, and here we are; that's it!"

Hinata seemed unyielding, and unable to accept her explanation. Seeing this, Kurenai continued, "How could you be so full of yourself to think that we got engaged just to hurt you? Do you really think I have so little respect for myself that I would agree to marry someone for such an insane reason as that? Do you really think Naruto would be so cruel as to orchestrate such a far-fetched and ridiculous scheme simply to hurt your feelings and get under your skin?"

Hinata did respond to this, "You, no. Him?" she said, pointing at Naruto while looking at Kurenai, "I think he would be that cruel to me! Did he tell you why he dumped me?"

Kurenai brought her tone back down, speaking quietly but just as firmly and unyieldingly, "Actually, yes, he did. He told me about how you became pregnant with his child, and how you made a decision to abort it without consulting him at all! And if you must know, the circumstances under which your relationship ended made him much more wary about entering into a relationship with me! He didn't do this to hurt you; he took a chance with me despite being scared out of his mind at the possibility of being hurt again the way you hurt him!"

"The way **I** hurt **him**?" Hinata yelled angrily, "And just how did I do that, huh?"

Kurenai just looked at her as though she'd grown a third eye, "Wh-wh…what?"

Hinata repeated her question, "Just how did I hurt him? I was pregnant in a combat zone, and we were at war. My father threatened to take my baby away from me the moment it was born so that he could 'raise it correctly' to make sure that it wasn't the disappointment that I was to him! My decision to abort had nothing to do with Naruto…"

Naruto interrupted her at this point, "How can you stand there and say that with a straight face? It had nothing to do with **me**? What…it was my child; did I have no stake in its life? Did you think I wouldn't feel anything about you deciding to abort my son or daughter? And without even telling me your intentions, on top of it! What made you think I would even be remotely OK with that? I grew up **as an orphan**…without any family…without any knowledge of who my parents were until my father appeared inside my mindscape by the Kyuubi's cage when I almost released him! I still didn't know who my mother was until a part of her own soul that was sealed inside me along with the Kyuubi appeared to help me tame it…that was two weeks before I started dating you! And you think that I wouldn't be that upset at losing the first true family that I would have ever had?"

"My father was going to take it from me…" Hinata began again, yelling through her tears, trying to get them both to understand.

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled just as loud, cutting her off again, "Did it not occur to you that maybe Hiashi overstepped his bounds when he made such a decision? Have you ever heard of any clan head taking any child away from its rightful parents? I've never even heard of such a thing being attempted, and if it was, it was certainly never successful! If Hiashi could have taken a child from someone to 'raise it correctly', then why didn't he take Neji from his own father, despite knowing just how talented he truly was? Hiashi had no legal or moral grounds to take our child from you…"

"That wouldn't have stopped him, and after all he's done to me, I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of using my child to bully me! And I certainly wasn't going to let him turn a child of mine into a monster!" Hinata yelled back, still in tears, cutting Naruto off this time.

Naruto took a breath and looked Hinata in the eye before responding slowly and firmly, "If his own legal limits would not have stopped him, then I would have, Hinata. I was far-and-away the strongest shinobi in Konoha, and in probably the entire Allied Shinobi Forces. I still am! Do you really think he could have gotten past me to get to our baby? Do you think I wouldn't have crushed him first? Do you think I wouldn't have gone as far as slaughtering any Hyuuga who would even make an attempt at taking our child from us? Do you?"

Hinata blinked and continued glaring at him. Naruto did not back away from her glare in the slightest, even when her Byakugan unconsciously activated in her anger.

Naruto spoke up once more, deciding to answer the question Hinata had asked upon arrival, "Do you really want to know why Kurenai, of all people?"

"Yes! You owe me that much!" she yelled in the affirmative.

"Frankly, I don't owe you anything at all. You put your father's feelings above mine, and you robbed me of the chance to have a family for the first time in my life! What other issues would you have put your father's or your clan's feelings above my own in, huh?" Hinata's eyes went wide at this, "But back to my answer: The reason I'm with Kurenai is because, unlike either you or Sakura, she really knows me…and she accepts me for all I am."

"I loved you! How could you say I didn't know you?"

"Hinata…" Kurenai chose to speak up this time, "…if you really knew him, then aborting his child would have been the last thing to cross your mind. If you really knew him, you would understand why he couldn't be with someone who would put the wishes of their clan or family ahead of their relationship with him, particularly when the possibility of marriage and building a family with that person enters the picture. If you really knew him, you wouldn't have to ask why he's with me, because you would understand **him**! If you really knew him, you would have had greater **faith in him** to protect you from your father or your clan! If you really knew him…" Kurenai paused before softening her tone as she finished, "…then you wouldn't blame him, you'd know just how much and how long your decision has tortured him, just like the consequences of your decision have tortured you…and you would have long since moved on from this."

Hinata gaped at her former sensei, looking as though she had been betrayed in the worst way possible. She clenched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, trying to get the tears out of her eyes and regain some measure of control over herself. In a mix of hurt and anguish, she simply replied over and over, "It wasn't about him…it wasn't about him…it wasn't about him."

"I'm sure Sasuke Uchiha thought it wasn't about the village when he defected to Orochimaru, either…" Naruto added, causing Hinata to snap her gaze up to Naruto, agape with anguish. Kurenai, in shock as well, snapped her own head towards Naruto, about to address that comment before…

"**NARUTO! THAT! IS! ENOUGH!"** added a new, enraged female voice. All of them turned their heads to see Konohamaru and Hanabi Sarutobi. Hanabi was standing up from her wheelchair and marching as best she could towards them, glaring in indignation at Naruto, "I know that you had good reason for ending what you and Hinata had, and I know that you've been as hurt and as angry as she's been about the matter all this time, but a comment like that was uncalled for, and you are out of line! You apologize to her, right now!"

The three of them stood there, stunned. Naruto and Kurenai were both stunned that Hanabi was out of her wheelchair – she would normally only stand up when she felt like she really needed to make a point, or for a special occasion, but the fact that she marched over to them meant that she was furious! Hinata was stunned that Hanabi of all people was actually coming to her defense!

Hanabi continued her rebuke, "Don't you dare compare her to that evil traitor! I'll be the first one to admit that Hinata's become less than kind over the years, and I shoulder a large part of the blame for that! But even as cold as she's become, she's never been disloyal to this village, or to the Hyuuga Clan! And she has never caused any of her comrades or any other member of this village undue harm!"

"Oh really?" asked Naruto, stunned at what she just said, "So what do you call what she did to you?"

"Getting my just desserts, that's what!" Hanabi responded without shame. Hinata gasped and unconsciously took several steps back. Hanabi continued addressing Naruto while looking back and forth between him and her sister, "What she did to me, I had coming…for a long time! It was also done in adherence to strict rules regarding duels between clan members, under the watchful eye of Hyuuga leadership. Never since has she sought to harm me in any way. Never once have I seen her use the Caged Bird Seal on **any** member of the Hyuuga Side-Branch Families; in fact, she still despises it and seeks to abolish it! Her hatred has been reserved mostly for myself and our father…and we've more than earned it!"

Tears began to form in Hanabi's eyes as she continued, "My biggest regret about where things stand right now is that it took Hinata having to beat me the way she did for me to realize just how cruel and nasty of a person I was! Our father feels the exact same way I do, and even more, he feels that the blame for all of this is entirely his…and he's never forgiven himself for it! Hinata has never been disloyal, she has always had what she believed to be the best of intentions whether you believe that or not, and even if she's become cold, she's never gone out of her way to harm anyone! And I will not stand by and allow you to put her in the same boat as a self-seeking traitor who in the end wanted nothing more than to watch the world burn! You apologize to her! **NOW!**"

Hinata could do naught but stare at Hanabi in stunned confusion, _'Why? After what I did to you, why are you defending me? It…makes no sense…' _Hinata grew even more confused when she saw that Hanabi was beginning to struggle to keep herself upright before her vertigo caused her to collapse.

Naruto brought Hinata out of her musings as he spoke up humbly, "Hanabi, you're right. Hinata…" Naruto turned his attention to Hinata, who snapped her head towards him, "…I'm sorry about comparing you to Sasuke Uchiha like that. It **was** uncalled for; it **was** a low blow, and I **was** out of line. Please…" Naruto bowed before her in a show of humility, "…forgive me."

Hinata didn't know how to react. It had been so long since anyone had shown her any genuine form of humility, and it was also the first time that either Hanabi…or Naruto, for that matter…had ever acknowledged any wrongdoing to her. Hanabi's wrongs were easy to count, but the only perceived wrongs that Naruto had committed against her were ending their relationship, entering a relationship with the woman she had once regarded as a mother, and comparing her to Sasuke just now.

Hinata just looked back and forth between Hanabi and Naruto before eventually setting her gaze on Kurenai. Her expression was neutral, though she could sense Kurenai's discomfort with the whole situation. Kurenai was looking at her with some anger, yet with empathy, but she was looking towards Naruto sternly…it was that same look that she used to look at Asuma with before she'd give him an earful.

Not knowing what else to say, Hinata bowed and said quietly, not quite able to recapture the cold tone she had become so accustomed to using, "I'm sorry to have bothered you; I will take my leave."

Bringing her gaze back up, it was clear that there was still a lot of underlying anger in her eyes as she spoke, "Congratulations Lord Namikaze, and soon-to-be Lady Namikaze."

With that, she turned and left. Hanabi went to pursue, but Konohamaru had brought her wheelchair up to her, placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back down into it.

"Ko, there's more I need to say to her…" Hanabi told her husband desperately.

"Hanabi, I think it might be best to leave her be for a while…a few days, at least. As someone watching from a distance, I can tell you that she left here not knowing which way was up. There's no telling how she might react, right now, so give her some time to process all of this, first."

Naruto and Kurenai both looked at each other, both worried about what Hinata's final reaction to this might be. Konohamaru rubbed his wife's shoulder in a consoling manner before bringing his attention back to Naruto and Kurenai.

"Well…" Konohamaru began, getting Naruto and Kurenai's attention, "…we were actually coming by to congratulate the two of you and see what you were up to, but, err…seems like you might need a little time to yourselves?"

"Thanks, Ko…" Naruto offered gratefully, "…but while you're here, I wanted to ask you to be one of my groomsmen."

"And I'd like it if you were one of my bridesmaids, as well, Hanabi," Kurenai added.

Both of them smiled as Hanabi answered, "We'd be honored!"

"Awesome!" said Naruto, "Thanks, you two."

Konohamaru and Hanabi said their goodbyes and parted company with them. Naruto decided to check with Tsunade to see if she needed him for anything today. Making a shadow clone, he sent it to Tsunade's office right away. A few moments later, he received the clone's memories: Tsunade didn't need either of their services for the day, and as tired as she imagined they had to be, she was just going to leave them alone, anyway. She did, however, leave instructions for the two of them to be ready in three days' time for the official village-wide announcement of their engagement, Naruto's official confirmation as the next Hokage, and his impending ascension to Hi no Kuni's throne. His clone was told that it was preferable that both he and Kurenai were in Namikaze Clan formal attire for said announcement, which would further cement their upcoming union in the eyes of Konoha.

Kurenai grabbed Naruto's arm, getting his attention. Naruto turned to his fiancée and saw that she did not look happy.

"Come inside…" Kurenai told him with controlled anger through gritted teeth, "…we need to talk."

Naruto, feeling his stomach tightening up and his mouth getting dry, complied without argument and followed her back into the house.

* * *

><p>"Naruto, what was that about?" Kurenai asked, her anger now evident, though she was still in control of her tone and her words.<p>

Naruto just started sputtering, not knowing what to say.

Kurenai continued, effectively shutting him up, "Of all the things you could have said! Naruto, how could you possibly say something like THAT to Hinata?"

Naruto just looked at her helplessly, shrugging with his arms wide while shaking his head, "I…I dunno…it…it just…kinda came out!"

"Just came out?" Kurenai's voice rose several octaves as she became much more animated in her anger, "Naruto, that was dirty! People fight, and they have arguments, I know that as well as anyone! But you deliberately took a shot below the belt! Comparing her to Sasuke – that was cruel and it was wrong! What's more, Naruto – it was **beneath you**!"

Naruto's eyes grew wider and wider as Kurenai drilled into him. He could do little but raise his hands in a defensive manner as she ranted at him.

"Kurenai…I…I'm sorry…"

"You're sorry?" Kurenai exclaimed once more, "Do you really think this is as simple as 'I'm sorry'? You are going to be Hokage! You are going to be this nation's Daimyo after that! And…and…" Kurenai seemed unable to finish.

She began to close her eyes and shake her head in frustration. Naruto became confused at this before it occurred to him that there was another underlying cause to her anger.

Naruto asked gingerly, "Kurenai, what's really the issue, here?"

"Naruto…" Kurenai began, seeming to have calmed down some before raising her voice once more, "…if you're going to lead a village or a nation, you can't take cheap shots at people you're angry with like that! You need to stand above the rest of us! That's part of what it means to lead!"

Naruto could hear tears behind her words as she finished. Guessing there was more to it, still , but not sure how to broach the topic with her, he decided that he had probably done enough damage today by speaking without thinking and chose to err on the side of caution.

"Tell you what…" he began calmly, "…I can tell you're not done with me, yet, but…why don't we revisit this later, when we've both had a chance to calm down and process this? What do you say?"

Kurenai nodded quickly, trying to rein in her anger and the hurt that she was apparently feeling. This confused Naruto even more…was Kurenai taking this personally? He wasn't sure, but he would be sure to get to the bottom of it before too much longer. Not really knowing what else to say or do, they decided to spend the morning making rounds to certain people in the village so that they could organize their wedding party. For the sake of appearances and to keep others from asking questions, the two held hands and worked to wear smiles that were as "real-looking" as possible. Not much was said between the two along the way…

* * *

><p>Shikamaru and Temari were both pleasantly surprised when Naruto and Kurenai walked up to their home hand in hand.<p>

"Well, it's about time, you two," Temari commented knowingly.

"So we hear…" Kurenai responded with a smile.

"So you've finally started dating, huh?" Shikamaru asked.

"Oh, no…" Naruto responded before lifting her left hand and showing them the ring on Kurenai's finger, "…we're getting married!"

"**WHAT?"** the Naras yelled together.

"Mmm-hmm…" Kurenai responded, "…and we're here to ask the two of you to stand up with us as part of our wedding party."

Temari and Shikamaru looked at each other and smirked together before turning to Naruto and Kurenai. With smiles on their faces, they both mumbled together, "You two are such a drag".

The other two both raised a bemused eyebrow at this before Naruto chuckled.

"We'll take that as a 'yes', then?" Naruto asked with a smirk.

Shikamaru nodded, "Yeah, even though it'll be a pain, we're more than happy to stand up with you two."

"Yeah, thanks for that…" Naruto said facetiously while chuckling once more.

They left the Naras to visit Chouji and Ino, still smiling and holding hands…quietly.

* * *

><p>Ino and Chouji were together at the Akimichi Barbecue Pit when Naruto and Kurenai found them. When Naruto asked if the four of them could talk somewhere away from burning ears and prying eyes, Chouji once again pulled them back into the private dining room and closed the door. They both frowned in surprise and confusion when Naruto added a silencing seal. As soon as the seal was up, Ino's expression grew into a knowing smirk.<p>

"Well, it certainly took long enough, huh, Kurenai?" Ino asked smartly.

Kurenai smirked right back, "Oh, you don't know the half of it, Ino…" she trailed off as she showed off her ring to Ino and Chouji.

Both of them peered at the ring in complete shock before Ino sputtered, "Y-y-you-you m-m-me-mean…"

"Yes, I do…" Kurenai began with a grin, pausing to allow Naruto to finish for them, "…Kurenai and I are getting married on December First!"

"**WHAT?"** Ino and Chouji yelled together in what was becoming the expected response to their announcement.

Both of them just stood there, faces faulted, before another expected response was elicited from Ino…

"AAAAHHHHH!" Ino squealed in girlish delight before flinging herself at both Naruto and Kurenai, wrapping an arm around each of their necks and squeezing them tightly. Kurenai and Naruto smiled and both hugged Ino in reaction. Once Ino let go, Chouji then came up and squeezed both of them in a bear hug, sniffling in happiness as joyful tears were shed by the big man.

"That's wonderful, you guys!" Chouji almost squeaked through his tears.

After Chouji had stopped crying, Naruto and Kurenai asked the two of them to be in their wedding party, to which they both magnanimously agreed. Kurenai and Naruto said their goodbyes and went to their next intended attendant-to-be, still holding hands and wearing fake smiles, saying nary a word to each other.

* * *

><p>The others' responses were expected for the most part, though they did seem out of place coming from some people. They found it quite amusing when Tsume Inuzuka of all people squealed just like Ino had, and even started jumping up and down in a girly manner when Kurenai asked her to stand up with them. A "girlish" Tsume had just been hard for them to picture, especially when they knew just how tough the woman was.<p>

Sakura, on the other hand, was quite a bit calmer in response, though she was certainly no less happy for the two when they asked her to be in the wedding party. She almost immediately began bombarding them with questions on practicals, such as whether or not they'd thought about certain floral arrangements, or if there would be enough food for everyone. They assured her that all of the arrangements were already in the process of being handled, and that she had no cause to worry.

Shizune's reaction was almost identical to Sakura's, only taking the mother-hen act to an even higher degree when Kurenai asked her to be a bridesmaid. As with Sakura, they assured her that everything was under control, and that the arrangements were already being taken care of. Shizune only stopped, however, when Kurenai put on her "Shinigami Aura" as she had with Kakashi the night prior.

They left Neji and Tenten for last. As they approached the Hyuuga compound, they were greeted by the guards. The first one spoke up, "Good afternoon, Lord Namikaze, Lady Kurenai, and may I extend my own congratulations to you on your…bright future?" he finished with a knowing smile.

"Thank you!" exclaimed Naruto with Kurenai nodding in agreement before asking, "Are Neji and Tenten otherwise occupied at the moment? We'd like to see them if we may…"

"Please, by all means, enter," stated the second guard as both of them opened the gates, allowing them passage. Naruto and Kurenai entered the compound, the gates closing behind them as they left. A messenger was dispatched to inform Neji and Tenten of their visitors.

After a few moments, Neji and Tenten approached the duo, wide smiles adorning both their faces.

"Lord Hiashi gave us the news last night…" Neji began, with much greater enthusiasm than he typically displayed, "…congratulations, both of you!" Tenten nodded in agreement with her husband.

"Thank you, both!" Kurenai exclaimed, "We wanted to ask the two of you if you'd stand up with us at the wedding."

Both Neji and Tenten accepted the honor with heartfelt appreciation. Naruto and Kurenai quickly excused themselves, as both of them were still feeling a bit estranged from one another after the blow up this morning. Neji, noticing that something was amiss between the two, raised an eyebrow at them but chose not to pry…

* * *

><p>After they left the Hyuuga Compound, Kurenai took her hand out of Naruto's and turned to him with eyes that were cold and distant, "Naruto, listen…now that our business is done, I'll…see you tomorrow, OK?"<p>

Naruto was taken aback at this. He would have thought that Kurenai would have calmed down by now, but here she was, and she didn't want to be around him…what was going on? Was she having second thoughts about marrying him? Did he do something inadvertently that she wouldn't forgive him for?

Feeling impulsively fearful of what her words could mean, he stepped back, not saying a word to her, and flashed away to his home…

* * *

><p>Kurenai only caught the expression of Naruto's face for a brief moment before he disappeared without a word. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was…scared? Wait, why would he be scared?<p>

Kurenai's surprise became confusion as she made her way home. She had made it pretty clear to Naruto that she didn't want to see him today, but she didn't see why that would be an issue. After all, she said she'd see him tomorrow. When she reached her apartment, she went inside and took out another book she had started reading after finishing "Murder in the Hidden Mist", this one entitled, "Murder in the Hidden Grass".

'_Wel__l, maybe I just need to give him some space…we'll talk more about this, tomorrow,'_ she thought to herself, hoping that by tomorrow, everything would be alright.

* * *

><p>The moment he flashed into his front yard, Naruto immediately got into his training gear, went into his backyard, and started training himself mercilessly. Minutes turned into hours, and before he knew it, it was pitch-black outside. Exhausted and covered in sweat, he still couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that his relationship to Kurenai was in some kind of danger. He didn't even have anything to base it on; she didn't take her ring off of her finger, and she did say that she'd be by tomorrow, but this was the first time that she'd ever distanced herself from him.<p>

What did this mean? Why did this feel so uncomfortable? He and Hinata never fought like this when they were together. Were couples supposed to have fights like this? What was it that was bothering Kurenai so much, and was it something that she would leave him over?

'_Naruto, p__ull yourself together!'_ he told himself abruptly, _'She agreed to marry you last night! She was asking people to be a part of the wedding party with you! She hasn't given you any indicator that she's going to leave you, so stop being so paranoid!'_

Naruto took a few deep breaths. After working through these strange, uncomfortable thoughts, he decided that the best thing to do, despite the late hour, would probably be to go to Kurenai's place with some kind of peace offering and try to work this out. He quickly went inside to clean himself up and get into the clothes he wore earlier before heading to Ichiraku's to get some ramen.

As he approached, he saw Teuchi doing some routine cleaning in order to make the time that he had to close up shop a little shorter.

"Hey, Teuchi…" Naruto said, getting Teuchi's attention, "…can I get two Naruto Specials and two Kurenai Specials to go, please?"

Hearing the urgency in Naruto's tone, Teuchi immediately grew concerned as he got to work, "Sure thing, son. You OK?"

"Yeah, I think so…" he responded, not sounding too sure, "…to let you know, I asked Kurenai to marry me yesterday."

"**WHAT?"**

"Yeah…" Naruto responded with a chuckle, "…December first is the big day."

"Well, don't sound so excited, Naruto!" Teuchi admonished him facetiously, "Normally, men are happy when the women they love accept a marriage proposal."

"Oh, I'm very happy about that…but…"

"But?"

"Well…today, we kind of…had a fight."

Teuchi deadpanned at Naruto, "OK…and?"

Naruto looked at Teuchi in confusion.

Teuchi raised an eyebrow, "Kid, please don't tell me you didn't expect to fight with her?"

Naruto just shook his head, "Honestly, I'm not sure what to expect, really. When I was with Hinata, we never had fights. Maybe that was just because we were in the middle of a warzone and we had more critical worries at that point, I don't know…" Naruto hung his head and stared at the countertop below, "I'm not sure what this means or how to handle it, though."

Teuchi's expression softened into an understanding smile, "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

Naruto explained that morning's encounter with Hinata, and the subsequent fight that took place between himself and Kurenai afterwards. He also told him about how Kurenai "dismissed" him, and in a state of not-quite-panic, he flashed away from her without so much as a word.

When Naruto was finished retelling his tale, Teuchi started nostalgically, "You could have the courage to face down an army of a thousand by yourself, but even the bravest of men quake in terror when they hear the words, 'Honey, we need to talk'."

With a sigh, Teuchi continued, "Naruto…" Naruto brought his gaze up to look at the man, "…can I give you some fatherly advice?"

Naruto smiled back, "Sure, why not?"

"In any relationship, no matter who they are, or what they do…" Teuchi began in a sage-like tone, "…she's a woman, you're a man. You operate on different wavelengths. The first fight that a man and a woman have is often the worst, because you don't know what to expect from each other, and you both play the game by different rules."

Naruto closed his eyes and nodded with a smile, "That makes sense."

"Naruto, I'm guessing that you're on your way over to her place now, right?"

Naruto nodded.

"That's good. You're already on the right track. First rule of fighting with your spouse: never go to bed angry, ever!"

Naruto chuckled, "Sounds like good advice to me, 'Dad'. Any other words of wisdom for me?"

"Right now? Just this: when you're over there tonight, make sure that you both talk about each other's rules. As I said, you play the game by different rules, so it's important to understand the rules that she plays the game by, and it's equally important that she understands the rules that you play the game by. What happened today between you two is probably nothing more than that: you two don't know each other's rules, so you don't know how to play the game with each other when it comes to conflict."

Naruto's eyes slowly seemed to open at that before he chuckled, "Actually…I think you're on to something. You know, it's ironic: one of the things that I had told Hinata about why I chose Kurenai was because unlike her or Sakura, Kurenai really knows me."

Teuchi laughed, "Wow…that **is** ironic, Naruto," and with that, both of them shared a laugh together before calming down.

Teuchi continued to impart the benefit of his experience to Naruto, "Son, rest assured that she does know you…just like you know her…but now you're getting to the point where you have to learn about each other on deeper levels. When the both of you have worked through this, your relationship will be a good bit stronger; I speak from experience on that. What you're going through – it's just part of it."

Teuchi paused for a moment to make sure he had Naruto's undivided attention before continuing, his tone taking on a more serious quality, "Now, this is important: when you talk to her, maintain your calm – no matter what she says. If you don't understand something she's telling you…or why, simply be honest and just ask her what she means. She needs to know that she can say what she needs to say to you, and that you'll listen…I know that you've both talked about things with each other that were uncomfortable to share, but it's a bit different when you're in a disagreement. Feelings of trust and security that you've built can either be fortified or damaged depending on how you handle conflict with each other. So…being the man in the relationship, it's going to be more on you to maintain your calm and control the situation – it's not fair, but it is what it is. For now, just take my word for it; you'll understand, later."

"Thanks, Teuchi," Naruto responded with genuine gratitude, "I appreciate this…a lot."

"Sure thing, son. Sure thing," Teuchi quickly finished preparing Naruto's ramen order and packed it. Naruto thanked him, collected his order and paid double his normal bill, leaving before Teuchi could object. Quickly making his way to Kurenai's apartment, he knocked on the door…

* * *

><p>Kurenai had read three quarters of the way through "Murder in the Hidden Grass" in her efforts to get her mind off of her own fears. Unable to shake the events that had happened earlier from her mind, she put the book down and tried working her way through her thoughts. The way that Naruto was able to so casually say something as cruel as he did to Hinata; what did that portend about her future with him? When they had fights, would he fight dirty like that with her? Would he say such cruel things to her…just because he wasn't thinking? Would he stuff his feelings just like he'd been doing with Hinata for years, only to let them come out when he could no longer keep them hidden, saying something that might destroy their relationship?<p>

She looked at the clock and realized that it was already ten o'clock at night! She hadn't even eaten! Knowing that she would be expected at Naruto's in seven hours, she began going through her nightly rituals and preparing for bed. Once she had gotten into her skimpy sleepwear, she prepared to head for bed when she heard a knock at the door.

'_Who __could that be at this hour?' _she thought to herself.

"Just a minute!" she yelled in the direction of the door. She went into her room to put a longer robe on and answered the front door. As the aroma of a Kurenai Special assaulted her senses, she knew who it was as she opened the door.

"Hi…" her fiancé said somewhat sheepishly as he smiled in a subdued manner before asking, "…have you eaten?"

Kurenai couldn't help but smile slightly, disarmed by Naruto's current posture, "Actually, no, I haven't. Why don't you come on in?"

Naruto smiled, "Thank you."

Naruto entered the house and placed the four packaged bowls of ramen onto her table. Both of them were sitting down and eating moments later, Kurenai with her Kurenai Special, and Naruto with his two Naruto Specials and the other Kurenai Special.

"You know…" Naruto began, "…now that I think of it, I don't remember either of us ever sharing a meal here, before."

Kurenai frowned in surprise and then laughed as she swallowed her latest mouthful, "You're right; we haven't."

Thankful that the tension was already easing between the two, they fell into their normal routine of chatting while eating. Once they were finished and Naruto had done all of the cleaning up, they both sat down next to each other in the living room, both feeling a bit awkward about the conversation that they knew was coming.

"Baby…" Naruto began calmly, "…I really don't understand what happened between us this morning, but I do want you to know that…I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to offend you or hurt you in any way. Can you tell me what I said or did that upset you?"

"Naruto…" Kurenai replied, the awkwardness and apprehension in her voice not lost on Naruto as she looked down and started speaking, "…I already told you: with the responsibilities that you're going to be taking on, you can't go off and say whatever comes to mind…"

Naruto gently placed his hand on top of her own, effectively interrupting her. She looked up at him and saw his loving, reassuring smile, steadily breaking through her defenses.

Naruto began anew, his tone maintaining that reassuring warmth that she had grown to love about him, "Kurenai, it's OK. Whatever you need to say to me, I can take it. I can see that you're scared about something…please…share it with me."

A tear forced its way out of Kurenai's eye. Closing her eyes, she slowly responded, "When you said what you said to Hinata this morning, comparing her to Sasuke…" her voice began to break as she took a breath.

Naruto simply looked into her eyes, nodding his reassurance and showing her that she had his undivided attention, "…it made me wonder if you'll fight just as dirty with me as you did with her if you ever lost your temper."

Naruto's eyes widened at her admission. To see Kurenai in such a state, and to realize that she feared he might hurt her in such a way…

"That's what this was really about…now it all makes sense," Naruto responded with closed eyes. He opened them after a few moments as he looked her dead in the eyes. He got off the loveseat they were both seated on and knelt before her, putting both of his hands on her shoulders.

He spoke once more, this time with all of the warmth and love that he could muster, "Baby, please…listen to me. I love you…with everything in me. Whatever we're going through, whatever you're feeling, you can rest assured of that, OK?"

Kurenai nodded tearfully. Naruto smiled as he added, "Also…if you need to say something to me, you come out and say it, OK? Please don't hesitate to chew me a new asshole if you feel like I need it…" Kurenai laughed at that as her tears kept falling, "…and I give you **my word**…" he made it a point to emphasize that, "…that when we have fights and disagreements, I will fight fair. I won't take shots below the belt…with you or with anyone else, ever again."

Kurenai's smile grew as her tears continued flowing. She leaned in and embraced Naruto tightly, her fears allayed. Naruto wrapped his arms around his love just as tightly as she was holding him, his own smile widening as he heard her whisper, "thank you" to him.

They separated a few moments later, Kurenai placing her hands on his face, Naruto bring a hand up to hers. Both of them still smiling at each other, glad that their first fight had been resolved as quickly and as smoothly as it had.

'_Man, Teuchi was right; I do feel like our relationship's stronger, already,'_ Naruto mused to himself.

"You know, I gotta tell ya…" Naruto began, closing his eyes, "…Teuchi's advice really paid off just now."

Kurenai patted the seat beside her, wanting Naruto to sit back down in the loveseat. He did as prompted while she asked, "So what did he say?"

"Well, his first tidbit was that I should make sure that we never ever go to bed angry with each other…" Kurenai smiled and giggled, "…and he also told me that I needed to create an environment in which you feel you can speak freely to me."

"You certainly did that, tonight, honey…" Kurenai responded affectionately.

"There was one more thing…" Naruto continued, "…he mentioned that you and I likely 'play the game' by different rules when it comes to fighting, and that it might be a good idea for us to talk about what our rules are."

Kurenai frowned in thought at that before responding, "Hmm…that's actually a very good idea. I don't think I've ever thought of anything like that, before."

"Yeah, me neither. So I'm guessing that one of your rules is that you need to feel safe with me, even when we're fighting?"

Kurenai nodded, "Yeah. And now that I think of it, I remember how…scared…you seemed to be when you flashed away from me earlier today. What was that about?"

Naruto chuckled sheepishly, "Well, err…" he began to scratch the back of his head, "…I didn't exactly know how to take it when you…didn't want me to be around you. I was telling Teuchi that this is honestly the first 'spat' I've ever had with my significant other."

"Really? You and Hinata never had fights?"

"While we dated, no. I could only contribute that to us being in a warzone, and there were more urgent things going on around us than things that people typically argue over when their lives aren't in immediate danger."

Kurenai nodded, "That certainly makes sense. So then…what exactly were you so afraid of?"

"I didn't know what your…keeping your distance…meant. I didn't know if you were maybe having second thoughts about us; I didn't know if I might screw things up even more by inadvertently doing something that would drive you even further away from me. I…I guess I would rather have you yelling at me than not talking to me at all – you could say that's a rule of mine: please don't ignore me, or distance yourself from me."

Kurenai brought her hands back up to Naruto's face and kissed him tenderly, "I'll be sure to remember that from now on. And I'm sorry, as well…I had no idea that I made you feel that way. I know that there are some times that I prefer to be left to my thoughts so that I can collect them, and it sometimes takes me a while…" she laughed as she continued, "…I guess that's another rule that I play the game by: I prefer to take some time out to cool down instead of possibly saying something that I'll regret, later. But I'll try to bear in mind that you need to know that I still want you around even if we're fighting."

Naruto nodded, "As I said, I'd rather you yell at me than say nothing, but…maybe we can find some middle ground. How about this: I'll give you all the space you want…just reassure me that you still want to keep me around in the meantime, OK?"

"OK…" she said with a laugh, "…and I'll make sure that I let you know what I'm feeling and thinking as best I can…just please try not to take it too personally, and please don't…"

"Don't you worry," Naruto finished for her, "I won't fight dirty, I promise…at least not intentionally. And if you feel like I'm fighting dirty when I don't mean to, you feel free to slug me upside the head and let me know."

She laughed warmly at this, "Well, OK, then! I guess I'll have to be sure that I don't break my hand against that rock-hard head of yours, huh?"

"Hey, now!" Naruto said in mock-hurt before laughing along with her.

After calming down, Kurenai changed the subject, "Naruto…I think that you and Hinata really need to talk."

Naruto regarded her with a frown, "What is there for her and me to talk about?"

Kurenai gazed back at him, her eyes filled with understanding, but also with firm conviction, "Naruto, you have unresolved issues about your past relationship just like Hinata does. It's been four years, and judging from the fight you two had this morning, neither one of you has put it behind you…I know you think you have…" she said quickly as Naruto was about to deny Kurenai's assertion, "…but if comments as cruel and as hurtful as what you said to Hinata 'just come out'…Naruto, things like that have to come from somewhere."

Naruto thought about it for a moment before closing his eyes and sighing, "Yeah…as much as I don't want to admit it, you're right. Truth is, though…I wouldn't even know where to start. What would I say? What would I apologize for? Do I even owe her an apology for how I reacted and how I ended things? Also, what if things just get worse? What if…"

"Naruto…" Kurenai broke him out of his rant, "…do you remember the first song you ever sang to me?"

Naruto's eyes went wide as the song came back to him, "Yeah…it was 'Do Something'." (1)

Kurenai nodded before quoting a verse from the song, "'On your honor…for your pride…you'll sleep better knowing you tried to do something'. Naruto, you told me the reason that song resonated with you so vividly was because living that way is what has enabled you to continue moving forward, and overcoming any obstacles as best you could. So please…make an effort to bring closure to your old wounds as well as hers. I can't really judge right now how she'll react to an attempt to obtain some closure, but I know you…I know you well enough to know that making the effort will bring at least a degree of closure to you."

Naruto took in what Kurenai was saying, realizing that she was correct yet again. He gave her a small understanding smile and nodded his agreement.

Kurenai smiled back, collecting her thoughts for a few moments before adding, "I want Hinata to be a part of our life, Naruto – I've loved her like a baby sister, and sometimes even like a daughter…for over ten years; I love her, still, and I'll always love her. I don't know if she'll want to be part of our life, but I want her to at least know that there's an open door…to both of us."

Naruto nodded his assent once more, "Alright, then. I'll make any effort I can to try to make peace with her. I know you love her, and it wouldn't be right if I didn't make the best effort I could to reach out, and to at least let her know that our door's always open to her whenever she's willing to walk through it."

Kurenai sighed happily and leaned into Naruto, "I love you…so much. The more I know you, the more I love you."

"I feel the exact same way," Naruto responded, "I've never known another soul as richly and as well as I know you. You know, I look at you, and I can't help but think, 'so this is what it means to really know someone…', and I can't think of anything more satisfying than that."

"Yeah…" Kurenai sighed once more with blissful contentment, "yeah…"

* * *

><p><strong>(1) I do not own "Do Something", the Eagles do.<strong>

**So…Hinata has confronted the happy couple, and Naruto still apparently has some issues that he needs to work through! What does the future hold? Only the following chapters will tell, my friends! As always, please read and review! As I mentioned earlier, I'm honestly not sure how well I pulled off this chapter – please feel free to give me your honest feedback (and please provide suggestions for improvement if you see problems).**

**Other than that, until next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

**How do, people? Well, I'm hoping that I can keep the updates coming with greater frequency. I know it's been a while; personal issues and all, as well as being a bit overloaded with ghostwriting and beta work (that's not a complaint – it's been a pleasure and a privilege to collaborate with the people that I've been working with: Sabaku Ookami, vsizzel, Naruto6023 – wrote a little tiny bit for him in "Chronicles of my Shinobi's Way", Darth Malleus, to name a few).**

**Anywho, I now have a more clear picture of where I want to take the rest of this story (I actually had to go back and read the whole thing again; it's been that long since I've had a chance to look at it). So, apologies for the length of time that I've gone without updating, and THANK YOU if you're still reading and you've stuck it out with me this far!**

**A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO SABAKU OOKAMI, who was instrumental in helping me to get some ideas going for writing the Hinata flashback (I was stuck there for a while), so feel free to send him a shout.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing's changed – go back and read the disclaimers in the first twelve chapters.**

**Chapter 13: Made Public Knowledge, and Back in the Saddle**

It was time. The morning of the public announcement had arrived. As ten o'clock approached, Naruto and Kurenai were standing in the center of the roof of Hokage Tower with Tsunade and her ANBU guards. In mere moments, Tsunade would make the announcement to the village about Naruto and Kurenai's engagement, his official appointment as the Sixth Hokage, and his impending ascension to the throne. Tsunade was in her Hokage robes, the hat fixed firmly atop her head. Naruto and Kurenai, however, were wearing matching formal silk kimonos of crimson with black trim, each with a bright red Uzumaki swirl on the back surrounded in yellow-orange flames – the official emblem of the Namikaze Clan.

Naruto was once again the spitting image of his father: handsome, regal in bearing, charismatic, and possessing of a very commanding presence. Kurenai looked the perfect match for him: the epitome of formal, regal beauty. Her hair was free-flowing, and her make-up was more minimalistic than it had been at Shijimi's birthday gala. She held the air of a queen about to hold court. Oddly enough, Kurenai was completely at ease with what was about to happen, while Naruto was a bit fidgety – the only sign that gave away his nervousness about the announcement.

"Don't worry, Son," Tsunade assured Naruto while putting a reassuring hand on his forearm, "I'd be surprised if the entire village didn't already know."

"I hear you, Mom; I'm not worried, per se. It's just…" Naruto trailed off.

"Just what, honey?" Kurenai asked after a few moments' silence.

"Well…I remember reading one of my mother's journals a while back, and…I remember her saying that when the village knew full well that she and Dad were together, like, in an almost-official sense…that his fangirl problem seemed to get worse," Naruto admitted sheepishly, while cringing at the idea of having even more rabid fangirls.

Kurenai smiled reassuringly, "Is that all you're worried about? Don't worry, my dear…" she continued in a mock-childish pouty tone, "…your Baby will protect you from all those vicious evil fangirls. No woman touches my man unless _I_ say they can!"

"There…" Tsunade added, "…all settled. You have nothing to worry about, Naruto. If Kurenai is half as strong as Kushina was, then any woman who'd dare cross her will regret it, believe you me."

Naruto seemed to breathe easier at this. A few moments later, one of the ANBU turned to Tsunade, "Milady, it's time."

Tsunade nodded before turning to Naruto, "Now remember to just stay back until I announce the two of you, okay?"

Both Naruto and Kurenai nodded, while Tsunade smiled and walked toward the edge of the tower, looking downward upon all of the village's citizens. Not since her own inaugural address had she seen such a large crowd within the village walls. Casting a voice amplification jutsu, she began to address the gathered citizens with an ecstatic, beaming smile.

Spreading her arms wide, she projected out, "Good morning, Konoha!"

Applause followed her greeting. She waited for the applause to die down before continuing.

"Today is an historic day for this village. As you all know, the Hokages have all striven with everything they had to help Konoha prosper, and to keep her children safe! All of my predecessors gave their lives to ensure that we could live, and continue passing on the Will of Fire!"

Further applause followed. Tsunade once more waited for the applause to die down.

"But today, the Will of Fire burns more brightly than ever before. Two of our own have been chosen for a greater destiny than any of us could have possibly imagined! I ask that you hold your applause until I announce their names, so without further ado, please welcome with me, the man who will officially be the Sixth Hokage starting January First: Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, and his **fiancée**, Kurenai Yuhi!"

Murmurs could already be heard when she had said the words "Sixth Hokage", but wild, thunderous applause and loud cheers broke out as soon as the engagement was announced. Naruto and Kurenai smiled at each other, locked arms and proceeded to where Tsunade was standing, showing themselves to the crowd, waving with their free hands, grinning widely. The cheers and applause grew even louder when the crowd below caught sight of them.

Both Naruto and Kurenai scanned the crowd, seeing friends and comrades throughout. Everyone seemed to share their happiness, even those who had been glaring in jealousy at the two of them just a few short nights before! There was one face in particular that they had both caught sight of that wasn't a happy one – the face of Hinata Hyuuga. She was glaring at the ground, not even looking upwards at them, her face etched in what had become her usual scowl.

Tsunade raised her hands once more, gesturing that she had more to say. The applause died down, prompting Tsunade to continue, "These two are among the very finest shinobi ever to come from this village! And…" Tsunade's voice almost broke at the raw, overpowering joy that she was feeling. To her credit, she managed to hold herself together, "…and two people that I've come to love, dearly. Naruto Namikaze, I have no doubt, will be the finest Hokage ever to lead this village!"

Thunderous applause interrupted Tsunade's speech once more. Tsunade allowed the applause to continue for a while, giving her the chance to shed a few tears and let some of the tension out so that she could continue speaking. After several minutes, the applause and cheering died down once more.

"These two wonderful, amazing people, will be married on December First, in the Capital, by the Daimyo, himself…which actually brings me to my next announcement!"

Murmurs started again, the anticipation of what Tsunade was about to say causing the excitement of the crowd to build.

Tsunade began once more, slowly and deliberately, so as to maximize the effectiveness of the announcement, "Even though Naruto will become our next Hokage, he will not remain Hokage for any longer than fifteen years!"

She paused a moment, allowing the murmurs and the apprehension to start once more before finishing, "Because our Feudal Lord, Shin Katogane, has adopted Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, as his son and named him his official heir; Naruto and Kurenai, once Lord Shin and Lady Shijimi step down, will be your next Feudal Lord and Lady! Please join me in receiving Crown Prince Naruto Namikaze!"

Tsunade applauded just as the rest of the crowd below did. The applause was the loudest it had been all morning! Both Naruto and Kurenai were overwhelmed at the acceptance they were receiving from the village as a whole! Naruto was used to the hero worship, but he found it to be quite different when it was an entire village all at once as opposed to one person at a time. It just felt…more sincere this way. Kurenai wasn't exactly sure how to accept the applause that she and her fiancé were receiving; she just smiled and allowed it to wash over her.

Tsunade gestured to Naruto, allowing him the opportunity to say a few words. Naruto looked a bit unsure, until one voice could be heard from below: "SPEECH!"

More cries of request to hear Naruto speak came forth. Naruto relented, stepping forward with Kurenai still on his arm and casting the same voice amplification jutsu that Tsunade had used. Kurenai let go of his arm so that he would be free to move as he spoke.

"Good morning, everyone! I do hope you'll bear with me, as I…didn't exactly have anything prepared to say," he finished with a sheepish smile while scratching the back of his head, the crowd laughing with him.

"But, I do want to thank all of you for welcoming me the way you have this morning."

He paused for a moment, the crowd below waiting in silence for him to continue.

"This village is my home. My life here at home has had its…share of ups and downs…just like all of yours have, but nonetheless…it's always been my home. I love my home, and I'll protect my home, even to my last dying breath!"

Applause broke forth at his proclamation.

"Thank you for welcoming me! And thank you for welcoming the woman I love more than anything else in all the world!" he finished as he placed his arm around Kurenai's shoulders, bringing the crowd to thunderous applause yet again. Naruto and Kurenai both looked out over the crowd, waving and smiling, while scanning the crowd and gauging their reactions. Their eyes both rested upon Hinata's scowling visage once again, causing both of them to think back to the conversation they had with her the previous day…

* * *

><p><em>The morning after they resolved their first fight, Konoha's newest official "power couple" ate a later breakfast than usual before making their way to the Hyuuga Compound to have a long-overdue conversation. Naruto was a bit edgy about how the whole ordeal would go. Kurenai did what she could to help him maintain an optimistic outlook to no avail.<em>

_She could understand his apprehension; it was not possible to deal with an irrational person rationally, and when it came to matters regarding Naruto or her immediate family, Hinata was anything but rational. Both Naruto and Kurenai knew that she had been wronged, but the problem lay in the fact that she didn't know where or how to properly place blame and responsibility. She blamed Naruto for ending their relationship when she had in fact been the one to destroy it. She blamed both Hanabi and their father for turning her into a cold person, and while they both certainly shouldered a large part of the blame in that, Hinata took no responsibility for her actions or her changes in character. She blamed Kurenai for betraying her, even though there was no betrayal – things simply happened between her and Naruto, and Naruto was a single man without any romantic attachments._

_As she thought about Hinata's current overall demeanor, Kurenai herself was becoming slightly nervous at the impending encounter. How would Hinata react? Would she attack either or both of them? What would happen?_

_As she caught sight of the Hyuuga Compound gates, she prepared herself to say what needed to be said, and to do what needed to be done. This time, it was Naruto who was trying to reassure her with a soft gaze and a warm smile. As they approached the gate, they were quickly admitted…and escorted straight to Hiashi's office, confusing Kurenai. Naruto didn't seem so confused – something that Kurenai noticed and found rather curious._

_As Naruto turned her way and saw a raised, inquisitive eyebrow, he responded, "I sent word ahead to Hiashi with a shadow clone telling him that we would be by to speak to Hinata. He said he wanted to speak with both of us once we got here."_

_Kurenai frowned at this, her own nervousness growing as she wondered why Hiashi would feel the need to intercept them before they found Hinata. Before long, they had arrived at Hiashi's office, where they were ushered in. Hiashi was sitting at his desk, handling that morning's business._

"_Welcome, both of you," he greeted with a cordial smile before adopting a focused, stern expression, "The reason I called you both here beforehand is because Hinata will not speak to either of you of her own volition. Normally, I would not interfere in her personal dealings like this, but given Hinata's state of mind since she learned of your engagement, I cannot be sure whether or not she might do something to bring reproach upon the Hyuuga Clan. It is for this reason that I am making it a clan directive for her to come here and speak with you. I will also remain in the room, as I wish to ensure that she understands certain things."_

_Kurenai and Naruto both nodded, accepting his position. After a few more moments, Hinata was admitted into Hiashi's office, her cold scowl in place. Upon sighting Naruto and Kurenai, however, her cold scowl turned into an angry grimace, her teeth gnashing together. She immediately turned to leave, but was blocked by the attendant guarding the doorway._

"_Move," Hinata commanded the attendant threateningly._

"_Sit down, daughter," Hiashi commanded Hinata sternly. Hinata turned her angry glare to her father, who didn't budge an inch. Hinata, realizing that she wasn't going to be allowed to leave unless she did as told, decided to comply and threw herself into an empty seat._

"_What can I do for you, Lord Hiashi?" Hinata asked coldly, the venom in her voice as she said his name quite evident._

_Hiashi's visage didn't change, nor did he even flinch at Hinata's hateful address of him. He answered, "Lord Namikaze and his fiancée are here to speak with you…"_

"_I thought I made it clear that I didn't wish to speak with them," Hinata interrupted._

"_And right now, your wishes are not my concern," Hiashi retorted, "The good standing of this clan is."_

_Hinata's eyes went wide at this in genuine shock, "And just what exactly is that supposed to mean?"_

"_It means, Hinata," Hiashi answered, his tone telling her that he meant business, "that given the state you've been in since I informed you of their engagement, and also given the stunt you pulled yesterday, I have reason to believe that certain warnings to you are necessary."_

_Hinata's eyes narrowed at the stern tone that Hiashi was using, as her breathing also became a bit heavier, as though trying to keep rising rage suppressed; given Hinata's surprise, Naruto and Kurenai surmised that it was a tone he had not adopted with her a quite a while._

_Hiashi continued, "Hinata, you will hear what Lord Naruto and Lady Kurenai have to say…"_

"_Oh, so she's 'Lady', now?"_

"_Yes…she is," Hiashi answered plainly, "She is to be married to the Crown Prince of this nation by the end of the year. That puts her station above yours and mine, and you will treat both Lord Naruto and Lady Kurenai with the proper respect, because to do otherwise would bring reproach upon the Hyuuga Clan. While I have given you great leeway in my attempts to make amends regarding my past transgressions against you, bringing reproach upon the Hyuuga by your selfish perspective and actions is something I will not tolerate. Should you do so, Hinata, the consequences will be…severe."_

"_Well, I see some things haven't changed; I guess I'll always be a disappointment to you and everyone else."_

"_Hinata, my transgressions against you are what have brought you to the person you are, now. I do regret that – I've told you that before, and I'll tell you many more times in the future, I'm sure. I'll never stop working to repair the damage that I've done to our relationship, and to you. But this time, I must act in the Clan's best interests; not my warped perceptions of them, but our true best interests. And good relations with our future Daimyo are in our best interests. Would you disagree?"_

_Hinata closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and took a breath. Letting it out, she answered, "No, Lord Hiashi. I would not disagree."_

"_Goo__d," he answered, his tone softening, "Now, I am __**asking**__ you to listen to what Lord Naruto and Lady Kurenai have to say. Will you do so, now?"_

_Hinata looked over at Naruto and Kurenai, a flash of love, immediately followed by a look of hurt anger crossing her face. Schooling her features into a cold glare once more, she addressed them, "Please say what you came to say."_

"_Hinata," Kurenai began, slowly and evenly, "we're here because we want to make peace with you. Regardless of where things have ended up __between all of us, I have always loved you. I still do…" Kurenai trailed off before continuing, "…and I…__**we**__…want you to be a part of our life."_

_Hinata's eyes went wide in shock at Kurenai's admission. She looked dumbfounded, not knowing what to think or how to respond. Her gaze went back and forth between Kurenai and Naruto, both of them looking apprehensive yet hopeful. Her expression morphed into one of angry confusion._

_Naruto took the opportunity to say his piece, also evenly and calmly, "Listen, Hinata, I want to tell you again, that I'm truly sorry for comparing you to Sasuke Uchiha. I know that I hit below the belt with that comment, and it was beneath me to say such a thing. You didn't deserve to be compared to someone who was so despicably evil that killing and destroying were the only things that mattered to him in the end. Despite our own differences, I know that you aren't like that, and you were as sickened by how he ended up as the rest of us were."_

_Naruto linked his hands together and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "Is there any way that we can start anew, as friends? If not as friends, then at least as civil acquaintances and comrades?"_

_After a few moments' pause, Hinata shook herself out of her daze and responded, her hurt in her tone evident, but no apparent anger in her tone, "How can the two of you possibly ask that of me? Naruto, after leaving me the way you did, and Kurenai, after accepting the man who you knew I loved for so long…"_

"_Hinata," Naruto interrupted, keeping his tone even and soft, "I already told you why I left you. While your decision to abort our child may not have been about me in your mind, did you really not think that your decision would affect me? I told Hiashi this when he offered me your hand in marriage…"_

_Hinata's eyes once more went wide, as she gasped and looked at her father in shock. Hiashi simply nodded somberly, confirming Naruto's claim. She turned her attention back to Naruto, who picked up where he left off._

"_I told him when he offered your hand to me, that I could not, and would not, marry a woman who would place the desires and influences of her family above our marriage. That is something I cannot abide by. And can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't put the interests of your clan ahead of the interests of our marriage had we been married to each other?"_

_Hinata simply took in his words, before looking back and forth between her father and Naruto, with Kurenai watching on._

"_Why?" Hinata asked her father when she rested her gaze upon him._

"_Hinata," Hiashi allowed himself a few tears as he recalled the fist civil conversation that he and Naruto had ever had, and how he had missed his formerly-sweet daughter, "I wanted to bring back the wonderful daughter that I didn't even realize I had. I have many regrets in life, but the greatest of my regrets revolve around how I treated you…for so long. You…you reminded me so much of your mother…" Hinata gasped at this, "…that it hurt. And I responded to that like a coward. I used anger to dull the pain I was feeling, instead of simply dealing with her loss and moving forward. I hate that I have made you this way, and I take full responsibility for that. I believed that Naruto was the only person who could bring that wonderful, loving, caring daughter of mine back. That's why I made him the offer."_

_Hinata continued looking back and forth between Naruto and Hiashi, before setting her glare slightly downward at the floor._

"_Lord Naruto, Lady Kurenai…" Hinata said, not looking up, "…you've said your piece, now please leave."_

_Both Naruto and Kurenai stood up slowly, both of them saddened by Hinata's stubbornness._

"_Good morning, to both of you," Naruto told Hiashi and Hinata, excusing both himself and Kurenai. Naruto opened the door to allow Kurenai through, but Kurenai stopped and turned to Hinata once more._

"_Hinata," she began dejectedly. She paused for a few moments as she waited for Hinata to turn her gaze towards her._

_Hinata looked up, and Kurenai continued, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about how all of this has turned out for you; I really am. And if you decide to change your mind about being part of our life, there will always be an open door for you. But there are certain things that you are going to have to acknowledge sooner or later. Yes, you've been wronged, and yes, you've been hurt, but you've hurt others as well, whether you intended to or not. You're not without blame in all of this."_

_Kurenai finished in a tone that had no condescension, "And you're also going to have to acknowledge, sooner or later, that I'm the best possible match for Naruto."_

_Hinata looked hurt by that. She looked at Naruto, who simply nodded, confirming what Kurenai had just said before they both left, closing the door behind them. They made their way to the front gates and left the compound, walking back towards the village._

"_Are you okay?" Kurenai asked Naruto, taking his arm in her own and holding it with both of hers._

_Naruto looked at his fiancée and gave a melancholy smile, "Not the result I was hoping for, but…yeah, I'm okay. And I do feel better knowing that I made the effort."_

_Kurenai smiled warmly at Naruto as they both made their way back to the village proper…_

* * *

><p>As the crowd finished their applause, Tsunade took center stage once more and spoke, "Well, it's certainly been an exciting day so far, hasn't it?"<p>

The crowd applauded and cheered once more before Tsunade raised her hands and silenced them.

"In addition to this, I have one more exciting announcement: For those of you who do not know, Naruto has been giving Kurenai some very extensive training in exchange for her help on a project he's been working on, the fruits of which will be announced once it is completed. But, it is my distinct pleasure to announce a very exciting upcoming event: On September Thirtieth, in the Chunin Exams Stadium…" everyone looked on in anticipation at what Tsunade was about to say. Kurenai looked at Naruto quizzically, while Naruto shook his head with a confused frown, indicating that this was the first he was hearing of this.

Tsunade continued, "…Kurenai Yuhi will demonstrate the fruits of her training in an exhibition fight…" Kurenai balked at this, while Naruto seemed to smirk knowingly, as Tsunade continued, "…the details of which will be explained at the event!"

The crowd broke out into applause once again. Kurenai looked at Naruto, noticing that he didn't seem at all worried. Naruto, catching her look his way out of the corner of his eye, smiled and reassured her quietly, "Nothing to worry about, Baby. You're not going to have anywhere near as hard a time as you think; you've got this."

Kurenai, still looking worried, decided to let Naruto's faith in her soothe her nerves. Tsunade's voice boomed once more, "Thank you all for coming, and have a wonderful day!"

As they all backed off from the edge, Kurenai just let out a sigh, while Naruto continued to reassure her that she would be just fine. Tsunade approached the two and explained, "Sorry for springing this on you in such a manner, but it was the best time to do it, and I honestly had just thought about it this morning."

Kurenai was about to respond before Naruto beat her to it, "Nothing to worry about, Mom. My Baby's got this in the bag."

"Confident, aren't you?" Tsunade asked bemusingly.

"Yes…Yes I am," Naruto answered.

"Well, just how would you evaluate her current skill level?"

"Right now, she's as good as any of the village's best Jounin, save me and…maybe you, Kakashi and Konohamaru? That's erring on the side of underestimation. Come time for the demonstration…well, I'll answer that, then."

Kurenai glared at Naruto in disbelief. Tsunade simply smirked bemusingly, "Well, brat, I look forward to seeing if your estimation is accurate. But…" her expression softened into a smile as she moved toward them, enveloping both of them in a warm, motherly hug, "…congratulations again, on everything."

Kurenai and Naruto simply smiled and returned the hug, Naruto already on very familiar terms with the woman, Kurenai beginning to adapt to the idea that Tsunade was going to become a motherly fixture in her life as well.

"Thank you…" Kurenai responded before adding smartly with a chuckle, "…is it too early for me to start calling you 'mom'?"

Tsunade gasped before tightening her grip around Kurenai's neck, "Not at all!"

All three shared a laugh before separating. Tsunade then said her goodbyes to the couple so that she could return to work, while Naruto and Kurenai headed downstairs to the crowd that they knew would want to greet them.

* * *

><p>Getting through the crowd had been a chore! Both Kurenai and Naruto had had their fill of shaking hands and hugging well-wishers. The only relief they seemed to get was when they ran into close friends, who were tactful enough to keep the crowd at bay while they extended congratulations and well-wishes of a more personal nature.<p>

Coming around to one in the afternoon, they both walked with Teuchi and Ayame back to Ichiraku's for a late lunch. The father/daughter duo allowed the two into the stand while they went through the opening routines, keeping the steel slide-gate down and allowing the couple some relief from the throngs of people wanting to swarm and talk to them.

"Thanks for this, Teuchi. I'll pay you what you'd normally do in business at this time of day if you'll keep that gate down for us while we're here."

"You've got yourself a deal, Naruto. Ichiraku's will remain closed for the next hour."

Both Naruto and Kurenai smiled in relief at this. While Naruto was somewhat used to this kind of treatment, Kurenai hadn't really experienced the…novelty…of being swarmed by an entire village full of fans.

"I had no idea that this would be so harrying. I feel flayed and pulled in a hundred different directions," she remarked somewhat tiredly.

"Yeah, I remember what it was like for me right after Pein's attack, suddenly being offered everyone's 'friendship' and what not; some people even asked me for my autograph," Naruto responded with a laugh, causing her to laugh as well.

He then turned to her with a reassuring smile, "Don't worry; you'll get used to it quickly enough."

A few minutes later, Ichiraku's was operational again, with Teuchi and Ayame preparing two Naruto Specials and two Kurenai Specials. Kurenai found that working through the crowds over the last two and a half hours had made her very hungry. Both she and Naruto had ordered one Naruto Special and one Kurenai Special each. A few minutes later, their orders were placed before them, and they began eating them with great speed. Kurenai, not so surprisingly, had managed to maintain an aura of grace, even with the speed at which she was eating.

After both of them were done with their meals, Ayame came along and collected their bowls. After placing them in the back sink, she came back up to the happy couple, put on her best glare, and coughed into her hand, interrupting their conversation and garnering their attention.

Ayame directed her glare at Naruto and pointed at him accusingly, "OK, now that you've eaten, I have a bone to pick with you, mister!"

Naruto frowned in nervous confusion, while Kurenai, having come to know Ayame fairly well in the last few months, looked toward Naruto poignantly, as though to ask him what he did to make Ayame of all people angry at him.

Ayame, seeing Naruto obliviousness, raised her voice, "Why did I have to find out from my father about your engagement, and why haven't you since been here to tell me of it?"

Naruto simply closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in a grimacing cringe, "Oh, Kami…Ayame, I'm so sorry," he admitted as he brought a hand up to his forehead in embarrassment.

"You should be!" she retorted loudly, "Naruto, that really hurt my feelings!"

Kurenai took the moment to address the rightfully-upset ramen waitress, "Actually, Ayame…it's been a hectic couple of days for us. A lot's happened, and given the things we've been dealing with…"

"No, Baby…" Naruto interrupted her, "…she's right; I should have come by to tell her the news. Even though things have happened, that's no excuse for not telling my big sister about her little brother's engagement," he again turned his gaze to Ayame, "Again, Ayame, I'm so sorry; please forgive me."

She regarded him with the calculating, accusatory glare that only a big sister could give for a few moments before allowing it to soften and responding, "Well, I can let it slide this time. But, please, Naruto – when you have huge news like that, again, next time, come tell me!"

"Ayame, I promise you that next time, you'll be the very first to know, and I'll never forget to talk to you about anything like this again. OK?" Naruto finished, the apology clearly sincere.

Ayame smiled softly and nodded, "Thank you. And congratulations; I've been wanting to tell you that for the last two days, but we've been crazy busy, here."

Naruto nodded with a smile. With all resolved and forgiven, Naruto, Ayame and Kurenai just spent time catching up, Teuchi coming out to join them shortly after. After the hour that Ichiraku's stayed closed was up, Naruto coughed up ten thousand ryo, about what Teuchi would make during an hour-long lunch rush plus a good sizeable tip for Ayame, and laid it on the counter. Teuchi, knowing what likely awaited Naruto and Kurenai if they were let out through the front of the store, allowed them behind the counter so that they could leave from the back and make a break for it. While they were thankful for the gesture, Naruto waved it off, telling him it was unnecessary as he gently pulled Kurenai into his waist. The two of them disappeared in a yellow flash of light…

* * *

><p>After flashing back into his property, Naruto, with Kurenai in tow, both went inside the house and prepared to get back to training once more. Knowing that Neji, Tenten and Sakura wouldn't be coming by until tomorrow, they both elected to focus on seal work that day. After studying and practicing in Naruto's basement workroom, they had dinner and spent the evening relaxing before calling it a night. Naruto had been sure to write to Gaara that very night, informing him of his impending nuptials, and asking if he would serve as one of Naruto's groomsmen.<p>

Five o'clock that next morning had them both back in the saddle performing their regular routines from that day forward. The only difference now was that Kurenai, when soaking in Naruto's onsen after their morning training, would now bathe with the roof open so as to tan in the late-Spring/early-Summer sun while relieving sore muscles. Sakura and Tenten would join Kurenai in the onsen during this time, which they quickly dubbed their "girl time", while Naruto and Neji would usually work together to prepare lunch. This prompted an idea from Naruto: Kurenai could wear a transformation genjutsu while others were around in order to conceal her new musculature and tan; it would give the impression that she wasn't growing as strong as she truly was, and with the way that she was working herself into the ground with her training, her strength, speed, power and skill were all growing at unprecedented rates! It would certainly add a startling visual effect when the genjutsu was released at her scheduled exhibition. Naruto still found himself surprised at times with the degree of raw potential that his fiancée possessed…that even now was just beginning to be tapped.

The Genjutsu Countering Project was also coming along rather nicely. The Clinical Trials for mental/emotional genjutsu escape had been successfully completed. Surprisingly to Naruto and Neji, they found the field tests for Chakra Encasement to be simpler than for Chakra Flow Identification. Two short weeks after the Clinical Trials were done, field tests had been completed, and by the beginning of June, another full report on the "Chakra Encasement" skill had been prepared and delivered to Tsunade. After reviewing the documentation, this was also classified as a high-genin/low-chunin level skill, alongside Chakra Flow Identification.

Before tackling area-wide genjutsu, Kurenai suggested they they work out the countering skills for sensory genjutsu and mental/emotional genjutsu, first. Clinical trials and field tests also went rather quickly for these, as all Naruto had to do was take the chakra that he either snared or encased and throw it back at the caster. He even found that he could throw it at a third party, much to Neji's dismay, as Neji was usually the third party he threw them at. "Chakra Flow Redirection" and the "Chakra Encasement Bomb" were both dubbed high-chunin/low-jounin level skills once Tsunade had received the final reports on them.

Kurenai's sealing studies were also coming along. Once she had mastered her brushing techniques to Naruto's satisfaction, he got her started on making her own seals and arrays: simple ones at first, but growing more and more in complexity. She decided that she would spend a good portion of her efforts creating seals that she thought would be useful to her for countering any possible challengers she might face during her impending exhibition fight.

Kurenai was also learning to use her summons very well, and she and Gamariki had become fast friends. Gamariki and Naruto had even come to terms with each other, and could at least be civil if not friendly. Collaboration ninjutsu between her and Gamariki had come very quickly, as she was able to sync with him quite well. Collaboration genjutsu had come even more easily, and was also a great help during the field tests that had been run in the Genjutsu Countering Project.

Naruto's monthly reports continued to report Kurenai's glowing progress in all areas. Naruto had started Kurenai on kenjutsu training, and had also started to forge a blade for her. It was another skill that she took to quite readily. As something that she had started including in her daily physical training, she had learned to blend kenjutsu with her other skills quite well.

Things continued as normal for the couple after that. Gaara had graciously, and with surprising enthusiasm, accepted Naruto's invitation to be one of his attendants, making both him and Kurenai very happy. Kurenai continued progressing in skill, not showing any signs of reaching a plateau yet. Her birthday had come, and Naruto had hosted a party for her, inviting anyone that they would consider a friend or loved one. At Kurenai's insistence, Naruto and his clones gave an impromptu concert for all of those assembled. To say that they were all shocked at his musical talents would have been putting it mildly. Even those who had heard Naruto perform before at his Victory Day party were stunned at just how many instruments Naruto could play, and at how well he could sing.

Tenten had started to show more and more. Her and Neji's child was soon to be born, and both parents were very excited: Neji to be a father, and Tenten, to not only be a mother, but to get the extra load out of her body so she could train again, and not have to worry about swollen feet and aching back and knees anymore. Sakura, always on hand, had been a great help to Tenten in making her condition more tolerable.

As they were training at the beginning of August, Fukasaku the Elder Toad suddenly materialized on front of the pair. Tenten, Neji and Sakura were all rather surprised at his sudden appearance; he didn't appear on his own unless major events loomed on the horizon. After Naruto dismissed the others for the day, Fukasaku addressed Naruto and Kurenai.

"Naruto Boy, it's time to bring your little lady here to the mountain! Ma wants to meet her!"

Kurenai blinked in confusion at this, while Naruto nodded, "Is it time for her to undergo Sage training?"

Kurenai's confusion turned into surprise at this, "Sage training?"

"That's right, Kurenai Girl!" exclaimed the white-bearded toad, "And it's nice to meet you. My name's Fukasaku, and I'm one of the elder toads of Mt. Myoboku!"

"It's nice to meet you, sir," Kurenai bowed.

"Oh please, none of that. You can call me Pa. It's what all the other toads and Naruto call me."

"Errm…Okay then, Pa."

Naruto interjected, "Okay, so I guess we're on our way, then. Pa, if it's all the same to you, I'd like to bring Kurenai back here at the end of every day. We're trying to keep certain elements of her training on the down low because of an exhibition fight that she'll be participating in a few weeks from now."

"Well, I don't see a problem; we needed you to stay because we needed to get you trained quick. There's no such urgency for this."

"Got it. Well, then…shall we be off?"

And with that, the three of them disappeared in a plume of smoke, instantly reappearing on the Mountain of the Toads!

* * *

><p><strong>And that's a WRAP for this chapter! WOOHOO! Only 7000 words for this chapter! WOW, this one's been a long time coming (both the moderate length AND the chapter itself)! I'm finally glad to have her done, and God willing, updates won't take anywhere near this long again! Sorry about that.<strong>

**Seeing as we haven't done this in a few chapters, just to give you an idea of where Kurenai's at by August, here are her stats as they stand at the end of this chapter in databook format:**

**Ninjutsu: 4.5/5  
>Taijutsu: 4.55  
>Genjutsu: 55  
>Intelligence: 55  
>Strength: 3.55  
>Speed: 4.55  
>Stamina: 3.55  
>Hand Seals: 4.55  
>Total Stats: 3540  
>Overall Skill Ranking: LowMid S-Rank (Kage-level)  
>Comparable to: Tsunade Senju, Orochimaru, Itachi Uchiha-ish (he's listed at 35.540)**

**So, Kurenai will be meeting the rest of the family at Mt. Myoboku! This promises to be fun! What'll happen? Stay tuned! And as always, please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello all, and welcome once more to another chapter of "To Really Know Someone"! To those who have kept with the story up to now, thank you! You're all great and fantastic people! Without you, the readers, we, the authors would have NUTTIN'!**

**On a special note, I want to give a SPECIAL thank you to ForeverFallen76 for the overall idea regarding the fuinjutsu project regarding Hanabi's chakra system! Thanks, so much, for that, my friend! I will use it well!**

**I also have a rant (I don't have them often, so please bear with me): Is it just me, or do a lot of people take these stories and what we as the authors do with them WAY too seriously? I've actually had a couple of people call me a "Closet Hinata Hater"? How in the world could someone take Naruto, or more pointedly, Naruto FANFICTION, SO seriously as to coin such an insane, ridiculous term? If this wasn't so ridiculously pitiful and SAD, it would be funny! "Oh no, whatever will I do when my deep, dark, dirty little secret of claiming to like Hinata Hyuuga when I really hate her behind closed doors comes to light and is exposed before the world? My life is over; NOOO! I've been exposed for hating a CARTOON CHARACTER WHO DOESN'T EXIST!" I mean, seriously, come on! Can you see just how STUPID that sounds? To those who would actually call ANYONE such a thing, I would say this: Get a life, and get out more! Don't waste my time with ridiculous and useless reviews calling me a "closet Hinata hater", and even more importantly, don't waste YOUR time, either! You HAVE to have something better to do with your time, and if you don't…well, then your opinion really has no value to me or anyone else for that matter. Get your priorities straight!**

**One final thing: I've written and posted a new story, "The Gateway to the Soul". The pairing is Naruto/Tsubaki (one of the two mothers that was glad Naruto didn't graduate from the Academy at the very beginning of the manga/anime). Tsubaki's not a selectable option, so I could only list Naruto as a character. For those so inclined, I would love it if you'd swing over to it and take a look. The chapters are much more reasonable in length than the chapters in this story have been, and it does develop at a faster pace, at least to the reader.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own Sekirei.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: Leading Up To The Main Event!<strong>

Kurenai took a look around as soon as they all rematerialized. She found that Mt. Myoboku didn't look too terribly different from places in her own world, except for maybe the vegetation. The flora, and particularly the fungi, manifested themselves in so many different colors that Kurenai thought she might suffer from stimulatory overload. Closing her eyes and shaking her head, she regained her bearings and took another look around. She smiled as she could now appreciate the beauty of the landscape around her.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Naruto asked, "I had a hard time taking it all in at first, as well."

"I can see why," Kurenai responded, "I feel almost overloaded with sights and colors."

"Just wait until you get further up the mountain. The scents will overwhelm you as well as the sights."

Once they got to a hut, Fukasaku announced his return. Gamabunta, Gamahiro, Gamaken, Gamakichi, Gamatatsu and Gamariki were the toads that Kurenai recognized. With them was a female toad about the same size as Lord Fukasaku. Naruto informed her that this was Fukasaku's wife, Lady Shima, but they all just called her "Ma".

"Naruto Boy!" she shouted with a wide smile as she hopped over to his shoulder and planted a kiss on his face, "How are ya?"

"I'm doing great, Ma! How've you been? You know I'm looking forward to your cooking, right?" he asked with a grin of his own.

"Of course! You can have as much as you want!"

"You're the best, Ma."

"Yes, dear; I know," she said, rather self-assuredly.

"**So, brat, have you been treating my dear little tadpole right?"** Gamabunta boomed out in a mock-threatening tone.

"Well…actually Daddy…" Kurenai began with a mock-pout.

"**Naruto!"** the great Chief Toad bellowed, only to stop as he fell over with a huge lump on his head. Shima was standing in Bunta's face, fury burning in her eyes and a pan the size of Gamakichi in her webbed hands.

"Bunta, what have I told ya about talkin' to Naruto Boy like that?" she yelled into Gamabunta's face.

Gamabunta groaned in pain as he responded, **"Not to, Ma."**

"That's right! And don't ya ever forget it again, ya overgrown wart!"

"**Sorry, Ma,"** he groaned out.

Shima quickly turned on Kurenai, the pan in her hands disappearing. Within a moment, she was right in Kurenai's face, giving her a very appraising eye and causing Kurenai to flinch.

"I don't like you!" Shima responded after a few moments.

"Err…err… well…" Kurenai began to sputter.

"Aw, come on, Ma; give her a chance. She was only messing around," Naruto reassured her.

"Well, for you, Naruto Boy, alright! Ya are mah favorite son, after all," Shima beamed at him with a smile before turning back to Kurenai, "But be warned, missy! I'll be keepin' my eye on ya! No more tryin' ta get my Naruto Boy in trouble with the wart over there! Got it?"

Kurenai just smiled nervously and nodded.

"Alright! Supper should be ready in a couple ah hours! Naruto Boy, why don't ya get Kurenai Girl here acclimated to the place? We'll start trainin' after dinner," and with that, Shima hopped off into the hut.

Kurenai walked over to Gamabunta, who was still laying in a heap, sporting a huge lump on his head from where Shima had walloped him, "Err…sorry."

"**Meh, don't worry about it, tadpole…"** he reassured her, **"…it's not the first time, it won't be the last."**

"Well, that makes me feel a little better," Kurenai admitted sheepishly.

"Tell you what," Fukasaku announced, "Kurenai Girl, I'd like to assess where ya already are with some things so that we can figure out where to start ya in yer trainin'! So please come with me."

As it turned out, Kurenai was already quite a bit farther along than Fukasaku expected her to be. She was already able to keep herself completely still and balance herself perfectly on the stone slab atop a perfect point, and had the strength, speed and precision required to quickly learn the Frog Kata Taijutsu Style. They could start her on nature chakra training right away. Shima announced dinner, and the toads and their two human guests went into the hut to eat. Even the three great toads used ninjutsu to shrink themselves so that they could fit in the hut and eat with everyone.

Kurenai blanched at the cuisine: various forms of insect life, cooked in various ways. She looked over at Naruto…who had entered Sage Mode!…as he looked eager to dig in? As soon as they gave thanks, Naruto began to eat with vigor.

'_Well, if he's enjoying it that much, it can't be too bad,'_ Kurenai thought to herself. She took her chopsticks and rolled up what seemed to be a bunch of earthworms. She inserted them into her mouth and started chewing, only to blanch even more than she had before she started eating and spit it out!

"Yeah, eating Ma's cooking is part of this training. Once you can enter Sage mode, though, you'll find it tastes pretty good," Naruto said nonchalantly.

"Naruto…" Kurenai growled out as her right eyebrow ticked angrily, before an overly sweet smile adorned her features, made all the more terrifying by the purplish-black aura that seemed to emanate from her, the sickeningly sweet tone in her voice making her all the more terrifying, "…the next time you feel like leaving details like that out…don't. Okay?"

'_Is that a hannya mask behind her?'_ Naruto thought, suddenly breaking out into a cold sweat as Kurenai's features darkened and her eyes shaded over…before glowing a malicious red!

* * *

><p>Somewhere across dimensions, in a city known as Shinto Teito, a certain lilac-haired, violet-eyed landlady sneezed before chirping happily, "My goodness, I wonder what bone-headed man just angered his lady love," and ending with a giggle before continuing to prepare lunch for her tenants, humming happily all the while.<p>

* * *

><p>Naruto looked to Shima, hoping she'd bail him out. Shima simply replied, "Naruto Boy, don't go gettin' me involved! This here's a lovers' spat, an' ya really shoulda warned her about the food beforehand!"<p>

Naruto just grumbled, "Gee, thanks, Ma," as he apologized to Kurenai by bowing to her on his hands and knees, begging her for forgiveness.

Training went rather quickly for Kurenai. Since Naruto had discovered that he could use Shadow Clones to gather nature chakra, this was the approach they decided to take with Kurenai. Shima would first train Kurenai herself by having her cover her body in Toad Oil so that she could better sense Nature Energy, much the same way Naruto had, and then she was taught to harness it and gather it in. Shima and Kurenai insisted that Naruto stay away from the Toad Oil Fountain while Kurenai was there training, as they did want want Naruto seeing his fiancée with warts all over her body while she was learning to master the technique.

Only a week had passed before Kurenai had mastered the flow of nature chakra enough to be able to leave her training to shadow clones. She could now train in the Frog Katas with Fukasaku and Naruto while Shima trained her clones on drawing in nature chakra. Even Fukasaku had been mystified as to how Kurenai could master drawing in nature chakra so quickly. Shima explained to him and Naruto that because Kurenai was a woman, nature chakra interacted differently with her body. While she would never be able to draw in the massive amounts of natural energy that Naruto could, she could draw in enough to balance out the physical and spiritual portions of her own chakra, which would give her inhuman chakra control at levels she'd never before experienced, though her own reserves would increase as well, and she would experience the same benefits that Naruto received from entering his Sage Mode.

Going from being able to draw in natural energy to being able to enter a perfect Sage Mode, however, proved to be the more daunting task for Kurenai. She had managed to master it the week before she was due for her skills demonstration at the Chunin Exam Stadium. Naruto was right: Ma's cooking **did** taste great when eating it in Sage Mode! As her training, at least for the time being, was done at the Mountain of the Toads, she said her goodbyes to all of the toads that she had grown closer to, with Gamariki giving the most tearful and melodramatic farewell. Of course, several other things had also happened during this time as well.

Neji was still assisting with the Genjutsu Countering Project, and progress was being made. Area-level genjutsu behaved differently than simple sensory and simple mental/emotional genjutsu in that not only did it affect the chakra of multiple opponents in a single pinpointed area, but it also produced the same effect on all who entered its area of influence, while dispelling once the person left the area over which the genjutsu had been cast. They also felt different: the level of the genjutsu didn't seem to be proportional in any way to the genjutsu's subtlety upon the mind, or how strongly it was felt, as many of the genjutsu that Kurenai cast all just felt different – as different as sticking one's hand in boiling water and how the ear might feel when exposed to too much noise. There was just no real way to compare many of them, but they discovered that using the Chakra Flow Identification technique inside such a genjutsu did enable the genjutsu to be detected more easily.

Dispelling such genjutsu was no problem – once Neji was able to see how the chakra behaved, he noticed that it had an almost crystalline pattern in the way it flowed. This seemed to be how the genjutsu remained up for what could be an indefinite period of time. Naruto theorized that if he could expel a pulse of chakra in a ripple effect, maybe like a sound wave, the crystalline pattern of the chakra holding the genjutsu would be disrupted much the same way that sound waves could shatter crystal given a certain volume and frequency. Naruto's theory proved true – he was able to use Chakra Flow Identification to distinguish the differences in his own chakra from the field of chakra that was producing the genjutsu, and by learning to flare out his chakra as a ripple, as well as changing the magnitude and frequency of the ripple, he was able to essentially shatter any area-wide genjutsu he found himself in, even up to S-Rank Area-wide genjutsu, with ease, both in clinical trials and field tests. He dubbed this skill "Chakra Ripple Flaring".

Countering these kinds of genjutsu, however, proved to be impossible for him. Kurenai theorized that by trickling one's chakra into the field of chakra nearest to the affected shinobi, the one trickling their chakra could keep themselves unaffected while the genjutsu itself remained stable. Naruto couldn't release small-enough amounts of chakra to perform this, so Neji and Sakura served as the guinea pigs for the clinical trials and field tests of this skill, dubbed "Chakra Trickling". Both were dubbed high-chunin/low-jounin skills once the final report was compiled. Once the project was completed, Naruto, Neji, Sakura and Kurenai all worked together to prepare a full presentation for Konoha's Village Council. They could almost close the book on this particular project and bring these new-found skills into regular field use.

They all felt a profound sense of accomplishment at this. What started out as an idea in Naruto's head had turned into something that could give any genjutsu-deficient shinobi a fighting chance against a genjutsu user. Lives could be saved in the field, and the overall skill level of Konoha's shinobi would be seen as higher than those of the other nations. All of them stood quite proud of themselves at this ground-breaking new skill set that they had helped to research and create. The report was scheduled to be presented to the Council during a special session in mid-October.

Neji and Tenten remained on standby, as Naruto's full contract for Neji's services had not yet run out. Naruto had also taken Tenten and Sakura on as fuinjutsu students while he was teaching Kurenai. Kurenai also took an active role in teaching the two of them what she knew as well. Tenten would eventually create several different features and variations for storage seals, as well as a few interesting seals that she could place on her weapons, though Sakura made sure that she wouldn't test her weapon-enhancement seals while pregnant. She griped about that, but realized that she would just have to wait.

Sakura, on the other hand, would apply what she was learning about seals to greater medical use, creating things such as antiseptic and anesthetic seals, as well as seals that could be given medical chakra to perform basic instructions while she performed more advanced procedures – the idea was to have a medical team in a stack of paper – Sakura would be able to perform medical operations by herself when they would otherwise require a team performing several different tasks at the same time.

Naruto was nowhere near as strict with Tenten and Sakura as he was with Kurenai, as Kurenai was not simply a student but his apprentice. Even with all of her work, when Tenten and Sakura created their seals, Kurenai could already easily create the same seals of much higher quality and effectiveness. The girls were stunned when they were able to see the quality of seal and seal array that Kurenai could produce. They were even more shocked when she told them that Naruto's sealing still made her own look sloppy by comparison.

Neji was given permission by Naruto to peruse his jutsu library and read through any jutsu that he found intriguing, as long as they weren't labeled clan jutsu. Neji settled for a few advanced chakra control exercises and a few non-elemental ninjutsu, as he had also been informed by Naruto of the need to use chakra in as many different ways as possible to improve overall chakra control.

Naruto, of course, not being one to sit still or have nothing to work on, had started something new. Kurenai had approached him at one point when he was performing the groundwork for it…

* * *

><p><em>Kurenai entered the house at her usual training time of Five AM. Seeing Naruto in the kitchen making breakfast, she greeted him with a hug and kiss as usual. Naruto informed her that he was a shadow clone, and that Naruto himself was actually down in the basement, in his design area. Kurenai made her way down there, and entered to see Naruto furiously poring over several different texts and making notes.<em>

"_Well, this is new," she remarked curiously._

"_Good morning, Baby, how are ya?" he asked, not even looking up from his work._

"_I'm good, but…what is all this? Some new project?" she asked, now even more intrigued, as she'd never known him to not get up to greet her when they first saw each other._

"_Actually, yes," Naruto replied, finally looking up from whatever it was he was working on, "I've been thinking a lot about Hanabi Sarutobi, lately."_

"_Okay…well, what about her?"_

"_I was thinking: what if a way to give her some permanent mobility, and even some limited use of chakra could be developed?"_

_Kurenai's eyebrows shot up, intrigued at the idea, "I would say that the idea is certainly worth investigating…" she walked around to where he was doing his work, "…so what have you thought up so far?"_

_He showed her the research he was performing on anatomy and medical theory, on how chakra ran through the chakra network, and on how the tenketsu points and celestial gates functioned in the body to allow chakra to flow through it. He also told her of the ideas about how an artificial chakra network could possibly be inlaid to her chakra coils, using sealing nodes as tenketsu points, and conduits as chakra bypass devices, much the same way that an arterial bypass might be done to circumvent a clogged or damaged artery in the cardiovascular system._

"_So what do you think?" Naruto asked her once he was done explaining the overall idea._

_Kurenai, thoroughly impressed…and quite excited, replied, "I think it's ingenious! If you succeed at this, there's no telling what other applications of this work might be made possible! Honey…you've got to tell Mom about this!"_

"_Oh, I intend to, once I've done some more ground work, believe me. I only started on this last night…it got me so excited I couldn't get to sleep."_

"_You haven't slept all night?"_

"_Nope! Don't think I'll be winding down any time soon, either; but I don't want to neglect my physical training. I'm guessing breakfast is about ready, so I'll come on up."_

_He created a shadow clone to continue the work while he accompanied Kurenai upstairs. Breakfast was soon ready, and both of them fell into their routine of eating and talking._

* * *

><p>The sheer magnitude of the project overwhelmed Kurenai once she saw just how much would have to be done in order to make it a reality. Naruto would likely spend months just laying the foundation and compiling the research that would be necessary to make this project work. He had invited Tsunade, Shizune and Sakura to the house at one point to present the idea, and to ask their opinions and input on the matter. All of them were just as intrigued and as excited about the idea as Kurenai had been, especially from a medical standpoint. Sakura's limited fuinjutsu skills would not be enough for her to provide any assistance from a sealing perspective, but Naruto's skills were more than adequate, and Naruto even suggested that Kurenai's own burgeoning skills in sealing were likely up to the task.<p>

Once they had established that between them they had the needed expertise to know what would be needed to perform such a procedure, they began to discuss what it would take to implement such a project. There were still so many variables to consider. Such a delicate operation would require an exact mapping of the patient's entire chakra network, both as it should look normally, as well as the damaged portions of it. It would also require the sealing array to be written in such a way that the nodes and conduits could be overlaid directly into the patient's chakra network, both where chakra should flow, and where chakra should bypass certain parts of the chakra network.

Naruto was already researching the idea of creating seal nodes that would act as substitute tenketsu points. He was finding that a tenketsu point did an awful lot of things in the body, so his challenge would be making sure that he had all of those tiny functions covered, and that they were properly mimicked in the nodes. Another facet of the operation was making sure that the constructed array responded as designed - specifically to match the patient's own chakra signature; this array would also be sending that patient's chakra into their organs, after all.

After discussing and debating for a good long while, the overall plan was constructed. The first step would be to scan the patient's chakra network and create as close to a three-dimensional model of it as possible. The second step would be to write a sealing array that would substitute for the patient's chakra network, either in part or in its entirety, into the framework of the patient's chakra network. The third step would then be to find a way to place the array into the patient safely, while at the same time being able to test each tenketsu node and chakra pathway conduit to ensure that they were functioning as natural chakra pathways should…which meant that they would have to respond involuntarily to the patient's natural body rhythms just like normal chakra pathways.

Despite the immense obstacles that presented themselves, all of them left Naruto's home with hope that Hanabi Sarutobi would be able to walk again without the assistance of a wheelchair or a walker. They didn't believe she would ever be a ninja again, but she might at least be able to put her shinobi training to use in some capacity. This was a project that they would all want to sink their teeth into; Shizune, Tsunade and Sakura would fill in any gaps that Naruto's research left out in the medical department. It would be up to Naruto and Kurenai to figure out how to overcome the remaining obstacles in the plan.

As September Thirtieth loomed closer and closer, Kurenai trained harder and harder, doing all she possibly could to give herself even the slightest edge over any opponent she'd face. Her kenjutsu training had begun, but she was not skilled enough with a blade yet to take it into a combat situation, even if it only amounted to a glorified spar. Focusing mostly on her taijutsu, ninjutsu and fuinjutsu, she made sure that these skills were as close to peak as she could get them, while also getting her strength, speed and stamina to their highest levels as well.

Naruto hadn't told her, but Kurenai was actually far more skilled and more powerful than she realized she was. He doubted that even Tsunade would last long against her if they went head to head, and he didn't believe it was a stretch to say that she was likely the most powerful kunoichi that Konoha had ever produced! She was on the same level as the great Kages of old! But again, Naruto didn't tell her; he wanted her to be at her very best, and if she didn't think she was as powerful as she truly was, then she would only work to get stronger. Naruto could only smile in giddy anticipation at the thought of Kurenai showing any opponents she would face that she had a whole new library of nasty little tricks in her arsenal! This wasn't just Kurenai Yuhi the Genjutsu Mistress! This was Kurenai Yuhi the S-Ranked Kunoichi! And watching her in action was going to be fun!

'_Okay,__ now I'm starting to think like Anko,'_ Naruto deadpanned to himself as that thought passed through his mind.

Naruto forced her to rest on the Twenty-Ninth. When the morning of the exhibition finally arrived, Naruto picked up Kurenai from her house, having made and sealed some breakfast for the two of them and Tsunade, who had gotten to her office early so that she could brief Kurenai on what was expected.

When they arrived at Tsunade's office, Tsunade was all smiles, and she was already in her Kage robes. Kurenai, from all outward appearances, had opted to wear her typical bandage-wrap dress with a single red sleeve. Naruto had unsealed breakfast for the three of them and set three places around Tsunade's desk.

As they ate, Tsunade began to make conversation, "So, Kurenai, are you ready for this?"

Kurenai smiled, "As ready as I'll ever be. Strangely enough, I don't feel nervous right now. I'm ready to show this village what I can do!"

"Good…" Tsunade began, as her smile became somewhat devious, "…because the first part of the exhibition will be you against six other Jounin."

Kurenai spat her food clear across the table, fortunately having enough foresight to avoid Tsunade's face.

"What?" she yelled.

"Who are they?" Naruto asked, taking control of the atmosphere in the room. Kurenai just looked at Naruto and blinked, stunned that he wasn't objecting to her first match.

"Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, Yamato, Aoba Yamashiro…and Hinata Hyuuga."

Kurenai narrowed her eyes at the last name. Tsunade, knowing the tension between Kurenai and Hinata, responded, "Hinata came to me and asked to be a part of this exhibition. I couldn't see a reason to refuse her."

"I see," Kurenai replied lowly.

"Baby, don't worry – you've got this…" Naruto began. Kurenai narrowed her eyes at Naruto, indicating that he'd better explain and she'd better like the explanation. Naruto continued, "…you're much, **much** more powerful and skilled than you believe yourself to be. I doubt the first match will do much more than warm you up, and I doubt it'll even make you break a sweat."

"That's a pretty bold claim, there, son," Tsunade interjected, "Just how strong would you estimate she is?"

"Do you really want to know?" Naruto asked challengingly, causing Tsunade to raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"Okay, whether I want to know or not, now I have to know," the blonde Kage answered.

"She could best you, Mom," he answered, his frankness causing Tsunade even greater surprise, "In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if they were still here, she could best the Pervy Sage and Itachi Uchiha, and maybe even stand toe-to-toe with my father in combat. The only person I know that could best her for sure…is me."

"She's **that** strong?" Tsunade asked.

"Honey, are you serious?" Kurenai asked, unbelieving yet hopeful it was true.

"Yes, she is," he answered Tsunade before turning to Kurenai, "and yes, I am. Don't sell yourself short, Baby; I'm pretty sure that none of the current Kages could best you in single combat, now. When you show everyone your stuff today, you're going to knock their socks off."

Kurenai could only look on in wonder. Tsunade could only look on in shock! Both of them collected themselves as they finished breakfast. Once they had eaten, the clock chimed Nine AM. Tsunade stood up and gestured to both of them.

"Well…it's time," she said.

"Yes, it is," Kurenai responded.

"Yes, it is," Naruto responded immediately after Kurenai.

"Naruto, you will serve as the referee for this exhibition. The second match will be announced if Kurenai can still continue after the first match. There's only one restriction on you in the first match, Kurenai," Tsunade turned to the woman, "You cannot use any genjutsu."

Kurenai simply nodded calmly, once more surprising the busty blonde. Tsunade continued, "If you fight the second match, that restriction will be lifted, and it will be an 'anything goes' match, with the only restrictions being Naruto's decisions as the match proctor. Any questions?"

"No, Mom," Kurenai replied with a smile, "None at all."

Tsunade then led them to the Chunin Exam Stadium, where people were already beginning to crowd in and get their seats. The event that the entire village had been waiting for was about to begin…

* * *

><p>Once the trio had arrived at the Stadium, Tsunade led Naruto and Kurenai into the private box where visiting Kages from other villages would normally sit with the Hokage during the Chunin Final Exams. It would be a couple of hours yet before the stadium would fill up and the event would begin, so Tsunade would be waiting patiently with Naruto and Kurenai while everyone arrived. Tsunade kept trying to weasel information out of Kurenai about certain skills that she would be showing off during the fights, but she kept notoriously tight-lipped about it. Naruto said even less than Kurenai did, giving only his firm conviction that Kurenai would come out on top today – he didn't believe there was any chance for a different result.<p>

"Good Morning, Lady Hokage," said a female voice that Naruto had not heard in several years, but could not miss all the same. He turned to see a silhouette of a tall figure with hair that seemed to flow everywhere, adorned with that herringbone top-knot that was Mei Terumi's trademark. The red of her hair became apparent as she stepped into the light, as her visible green eye twinkled with playful curiosity and mirth. An excited smile played across her lips, though she kept her posture and bearing aloof and perfectly-poised. She was in her Kage robes, carrying her hat by her side.

"Good Morning, Lady Mizukage; I'm glad you could be here," Tsunade greeted the woman.

"Lady Mizukage…I wasn't expecting you to be here. Good Morning!" Naruto offered.

"And Good Morning to you, as well…Crown Prince Naruto…and Crown Princess Kurenai, as well, I believe?" Mei offered first to Naruto, and then to Kurenai.

"Yes, Lady Mizukage. Welcome to Konoha. Err…like Naruto, I'm afraid you've caught me a little off-guard; I wasn't expecting you to be here, either," Kurenai responded, keeping her own poise in the presence of the powerful and influential foreign dignitary standing before her.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't miss this! Tsunade here was kind enough to invite me; she promoted this event with such vigor that I actually delayed some other affairs and events to attend this. Lady Kurenai, I do look very forward to what you'll show us here today."

Kurenai blushed at the respectful form of address used by the Mizukage of all people towards her. She then smiled and answered, "I hope to meet and maybe exceed your expectations, then…Lady Mei."

Mei smiled and nodded in response before addressing Kurenai and Naruto as a couple, "Might I also extend my congratulations to the two of you, on your impending nuptials? Thank you so much for inviting us, and I must say that I'm very happy for you, Naruto; I would say that in terms of a spouse, you've chosen extraordinarily well!"

"Thank you, Mei. I think so, too," Naruto answered back with sly amusement before asking, "So tell me, how is Chojuro?"

"My husband is quite well, thank you. He sends his regards, as he stayed behind to take care of little Yagura and run the village in my absence…and thank you, again, Naruto, for giving him the courage to approach me and talk to me about his feelings," she added mirthfully.

Kurenai, seeing the glint in the redhead's eye, voiced her suspicion, "There's a story to this, isn't there?"

"Indeed, there is!" Mei exclaimed, turning to Naruto, "Naruto, why don't you tell it?"

"Well…" Naruto began, garnering Kurenai's and Tsunade's attention, "Chojuro and I became good friends during the war; I remember seeing him on the battlefield and I commented on how great his skills were. Chojuro, at the time…was a rather timid guy…and he remained so up until the end of the war. He told me how he loved Mei, but he didn't have the courage to tell her."

"So then…what did you do, Naruto?" Tsunade asked slyly.

"Well, other than Kurenai, Mei was the only woman I had considered as a potential partner since Hinata. But, as Chojuro is my friend, and I knew how he felt, at the Celebratory Ball after we declared the war over, I gave him an ultimatum…" Naruto paused for effect, causing Kurenai and Tsunade to lean in.

"So? What did you say?" Kurenai asked excitedly.

"I told Chojuro he had fifteen seconds to man up and make a move on Mei…before I did."

Tsunade's eyebrows shot to the roof at hearing that. Kurenai was doing little better. Mei merely laughed as she took over telling the tale.

"Poor dear Chojuro couldn't get to me fast enough! He was…" Mei's laughter became more pronounced, "…a complete blubbering mess; it took him five minutes to slow down and speak clearly enough for me to make sense of his ramblings!"

They all laughed heartily at the story of Naruto's sudden injection of courage into Chojuro.

As the laughter died down, Naruto asked, "So how old is little Yagura now?"

"He's almost three…and he's a rambunctious little hellraiser…but he's also Mommy's boy!" Mei answered with a wistful, loving smile, as she told them of Chojuro's and her son. Little Yagura Terumi was apparently a hyperactive little purple-haired ball of energy with green eyes and his father's face, but while Chojuro's smile was somewhat reserved, Yagura's smile split his face every time he gave it. Kurenai and Tsunade both found it curious that the boy was given his mother's name, but Mei explained that Chojuro had no family name, so he took on the Terumi Clan name when he and Mei were wed.

"So, plans for any more kids, Mei?" Tsunade asked.

"Maybe in a year or two," she responded, "Yagura's already quite a handful; I'm not sure if I could handle him **and** an infant right now, so I'll wait until he calms down a little before adding fuel to the powder magazine."

Laughter ensued once more, before Kurenai felt a particular stirring within her. She decided to ask, "Lady Mei, please forgive me if I'm being rude, but I was wondering if you could…answer a question of a personal nature for me?"

"Depends on the question," Mei responded, "But you're free to ask."

"What was it like? Carrying your child to term, and then giving birth to him?" she asked, a longing gleam in her eyes showing how important this question was to her.

Mei, seeing that gleam, spoke in a low, serious, but happy tone, "It was a wonderful experience. Labor was the most awful thing I ever experienced…but it quickly became the second most awful thing I experienced when it came time to deliver…but when I held my perfect little creature in my arms…and fed him…it was the happiest moment of my life. I honestly can't wait to do it all again, as strange as it sounds."

Offering Kurenai a warm smile, she finished, "My dear Kurenai…I hope that Kami speeds the day when you can experience that joy; I really do."

She then walked over to Kurenai and hugged her warmly. Kurenai, in tears, returned her hug.

"Thank you," Kurenai choked out.

They separated and immediately returned to lighter topics, passing the time until Eleven o'clock came around.

"Kurenai, Naruto, you two should head down," Tsunade told them.

Both of them nodded before Naruto took Kurenai's hand and flashed with her down into the Stadium floor. As they both appeared in the Stadium, the crowd roared with excitement and enthusiasm, knowing that something amazing was about to happen before their very eyes. Naruto was smiling contently, and Kurenai was smiling excitedly, ready to show those who had gathered here just what she could do.

"Good luck, Baby," Naruto said to Kurenai, "Not that you need it."

Kurenai smiled at him and kissed him, "Thank you, anyway, my love."

As Kurenai walked away from Naruto to stand in a competitor's position within the stadium, Tsunade's voice could be heard booming throughout, "People of Konoha! Honored visitors and friends! Welcome to this once-in-a-lifetime event: The Exhibition of Kurenai Yuhi soon-to-be Namikaze's training and skills under her coach, master and fiancé, Naruto Namikaze!"

The crowd roared in approval at Tsunade's commencement. As the applause and cheering died down, Tsunade announced, "The First Match will pit Kurenai against six of our finest shinobi! Her opponents will be Might Guy…"

Guy began to walk into the Stadium, waving to the crowd as they cheered, his smile still gleaming as he blinded the crowd with the glint off his teeth.

"…Kakashi Hatake…"

Kakashi appeared in a swirl of leaves, strangely enough without a copy of Make-Out Paradise, Violence or Tactics in his hands. It seemed he knew to take this fight seriously.

"…Genma Shiranui…"

Genma, still sporting his bandanna and the senbon needle he always chewed, gave a cool smile and wave as he entered the Stadium.

"…Aoba Yamashiro…"

The shades-wearing fire-user jogged into the Stadium, smiling and waving to the crowd.

"…Yamato of the Wood Style…"

Some vines rose up from the Stadium floor in a corkscrew, before opening and revealing Naruto's old substitute captain when Kakashi wasn't there to go on missions with his team.

"…and Hinata Hyuuga!"

Hinata entered, looking dead ahead with an icy glare…that just didn't seem to be as cold as it once was. Both Naruto and Kurenai found this to be rather curious, but both hoped it was a good sign.

"Referee Naruto Namikaze will now explain the rules to the participants!"

Naruto waved to the crowd as his name was announced to the spectators. He began to explain, "For the first match, Kurenai Yuhi may use any art, skill or jutsu available to her, except Genjutsu! The other participants may use any skills they wish!"

Receiving nods from all parties, Naruto continued, "The match ends for any participant when they are incapacitated, or when I step in and end their participation in the match! Are there any questions?"

Receiving negatives all around, Naruto smiled and spoke up, "Very well, then. Kurenai vs. …all of them!" A few laughs came from the stands at his introduction, "FIGHT!"

* * *

><p><strong>And the next chapter, we see some action! I'll even include background tracks for the scenes! As always, please, read and leave reviews for this humble author who only wishes to please you - his fans and friends!<strong>

**But how did all of you like Kurenai channeling her "Inner Miya"? I know that little aside was a big deviation from my typical style, but I just couldn't resist; I had to do it.**

**Now, for Kurenai's stats at the end of this chapter:**

**Ninjutsu: 5/5  
>Taijutsu: 4.55  
>Genjutsu: 55  
>Intelligence: 55  
>Strength: 4.55  
>Speed: 55  
>Stamina: 4.55  
>Hand Seals: 4.55  
>Total Stats: 3840  
>Overall Skill Ranking: High S-Rank (Beyond Kage-level)<br>Comparable to: Hashirama Senju, Minato Namikaze (best guesses)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Yes, my friends, it's been quite a while, I know. I AGONIZED over this chapter, literally to the point where it brought me to a serious writers' block! The last few months have been a few words here, a paragraph, there. Writing fight scenes is MUCH harder than I thought it would be! A HUGE thank you to Ihateheroes, Sabaku Ookami, Unlimited Blade Works and Magenkyo Sharingan for the tips and the advice that they gave to me that really gave me some much needed direction.**

**So, this is my first ever fight scene; I hope I did well on it. I would like as much feedback as you can give me on this – I really want constructive or objective criticism so that I can improve this aspect of my writing. Telling me where I went wrong and offering solutions to the problem would be ideal, but if you can only tell me where I went wrong, then please feel free to tell me where I went wrong. I'll probably come back to you with a bunch of questions as to how to fix it so that I can get more specific, tailored feedback from you. But any feedback at all, and any reviews at all, are always appreciated! Thanks so much, guys!**

**Again, apologies for the wait on this chapter – hopefully, the next chapter will be easier to write, as it will be an even bigger fight scene (all the more reason to review and tell me where I went wrong, so that I can make some corrections when I write the next chapter).**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: Standard, but I don't own any music from DBZ, either.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Previously…in "To Really Know Someone":<strong>

"_Referee Naruto Namikaze will now explain the rules to the participants!"_

_Naruto waved to the crowd as his name was announced to the spectators. He began to explain, "For the first match, Kurenai Yuhi may use any art, skill or jutsu available to her, except Genjutsu! The other participants may use any skills they wish!"_

_Receiving nods from all parties, Naruto continued, "The match ends for any participant when they are incapacitated, or when I step in and end their participation in the match! Are there any questions?"_

_Receiving negatives all around, Naruto smiled and spoke up, "Very well, then. Kurenai vs. …all of them!" A few laughs came from the stands at his introduction, "FIGHT!"_

* * *

><p><strong>And now, Chapter 15: The Main Event – Round 1<strong>

* * *

><p>As the participants all got into stance, Naruto suddenly remembered something as he waved his hands, "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!"<p>

All of the participants looked at him as though he'd grown a second head, while the crowd seemed to sweat-drop all at once.

"Baby, the rule was no genjutsu…drop the transformation," Naruto quickly instructed Kurenai.

Kurenai looked down and then back up, responding somewhat sheepishly, "Oops, silly me; you are right, honey," and with that, she put her hands into a Ram hand seal and shouted, "Release!"

The image of porcelain-skinned Kurenai in her white bandage-style dress disappeared in a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, gasps could be heard as the woman beneath the transformation could now be seen. She was quite the sight to behold!

**(BGM: DBZ Soundtrack – Pikkon's Theme)**

There was Kurenai, but not the Kurenai that they all knew. Where before, her skin was pale, it now had a healthy-looking tan. Her hair, while still mostly brownish-black, now had natural highlights of dark blonde. It was clear that she'd been spending time in the sun tanning. She was also wearing a brilliant red sleeveless haori with orange and black flames at the bottom that seemed to billow in the wind. It looked almost like a female version of Naruto's sage cloak. She wore the haori over a skin-tight black spandex bodysuit that had one red spandex sleeve sewn onto the right shoulder, the other shoulder left bare. The legs of the bodysuit only extended about three inches below the seat of the suit, showing off a lot of Kurenai's tanned, and rather toned and muscular legs. On Kurenai's bare arm, she wore a solid red armband that had several seals covering it. The armband extended from her wrist and ended halfway up her forearm.

Coming back up to the musculature that covered the rest of her body, it was clear to those present that she'd been training hard. There was so much muscular definition that wasn't there before, centered around the healthy six-pack that was her abdominal wall. Despite the newfound muscle mass, she was still quite feminine, and her conditioning only seemed to enhance her already-spectacular womanly beauty as her muscles seemed to push her curves out from her body, giving her figure even more of an hourglass shape than it had before. This gave her an air of grace and allure, while at the same time made her a very intimidating figure to behold. High-heeled black ninja sandals adorned her feet, while she wore her headband around her waist much the same way Guy did. Her ruby orbs also possessed a fierceness that had not been present before, her face set in grim determination. This woman, there was no doubt – she was physically quite strong.

Naruto smirked as Kurenai's opponents seemed apprehensive at taking this new Kurenai on before he announced, "Okay, **now** you can begin! FIGHT!"

"So what do you say, boys and girl?" Kurenai taunted, "Should we start this off with Taijutsu only?"

"Sure, why not?" Kakashi responded nonchalantly.

At this, all of Kurenai's opponents began to charge her. Kurenai took a defensive stance and awaited her opponents. They surrounded her and started throwing flurries of punches and kicks her way. Despite the fact that she was outnumbered six-to-one, Kurenai gracefully and efficiently dodged most of the strikes that came at her, successfully blocking the rest. She made it look easy…at times it even seemed as though she was floating or gliding across the arena floor. Through various acts of tumbling and acrobatics, and shifting her weight between her legs and her hands, she was a whirlwind of motion. After a few minutes of this, it became clear to the attackers that they were going to have to kick their game up a notch.

Unfortunately for them, Kurenai decided to go on the offensive, herself. She blurred out of their vision and began to appear in front of each of her opponents faster than most of them could keep up. Upon seeing this, Kakashi pulled his headband up off of his left eye, bringing out his Sharingan. It wasn't enough to keep him from getting brained, though, as Kurenai appeared in front of him, delivering a vicious spinning backhand to the right side of his face, sending him careening backwards a good thirty feet, dazing him and taking him out of the fight for a few seconds at least.

Kurenai didn't stop there. She blurred in front of Aoba and knocked the wind out of him with a strong side-kick, sending him flying backwards into the arena wall causing it to fracture. Aoba slumped forward onto his hands and knees and, like Kakashi, started to shake his head in an effort to recover from the daze that Kurenai had placed him in.

She then blurred right behind Genma and gave him a spinning kick to the right side of his face from the back, spinning him around. When he was facing her, she sent a flurry of jabs towards his face before sending a very powerful strike to his jaw from a squatting position, springing upwards on one leg, while kicking him with the other. Genma was knocked forty feet into the air and landed on the ground, out cold.

Naruto stepped to Genma, scooped him over his shoulder and flashed out of the ring before immediately flashing back…sans Genma. Genma was out of the fight.

The next thing Yamato knew, Kurenai delivered a hand-springing one-legged mule-kick to his midsection, putting him on his back, the lack of ability to breathe keeping him there for the time being.

Hinata, still confused about what was happening even with her Byakugan activated, suddenly felt a powerful force thrust into her gut. She immediately doubled over, coughing up a little blood from the force of the hit before collapsing to the ground in the fetal position, her hands over her solar plexus, waiting for her ability to breathe to return to her.

"Sorry about that Hinata, but I want this next part of the fight to be distraction-free," Kurenai said to her in apology, unballing the fist she had just used to knock the wind out of the young Hyuuga heiress.

* * *

><p>In the stands, the rest of Naruto's friends were all sitting together. All of them were surprised at Kurenai's abilities, even Neji, Tenten and Sakura, who had been spending their afternoons at Naruto's home.<p>

"What the hell?" Ino exclaimed in genuine shock, "Just what has Naruto been training her in?"

"Wow!" a very pregnant Tenten exclaimed, just as surprised as Ino, "Well, I can tell you this – even with what Neji and I have seen her do in training, we never imagined that she'd progressed to this degree…and if this is only her taijutsu…let's just say we're in for even more of a show when ninjutsu and fuinjutsu start coming into play!"

All of them gaped at Tenten's declaration, unable to picture how Kurenai could amaze them all even more than she already had.

Iruka turned to regard his wife, "Anko, I'm not even sure what to think about what I'm seeing right now. I mean…look at how Kurenai's transformed!"

"No kidding," Anko replied, an expression of mild surprise covering her face, "I knew she had untapped potential, but even so, I wasn't expecting anything like this."

Anko's face morphed into a sly grin, "So honey…" she turned to her husband with a leer, "…would you like it if I had the same tan Kurenai has?"

"Well, I think you're perfect the way you are…" Iruka answered carefully while smiling nervously, "…but I wouldn't object if you had that kind of tan, either."

Anko's smile softened into a genuine one, "You're the best hubby ever, you know that?"

"Thank you, sweetie…" Iruka answered, "…and I couldn't ask for a better wife, either."

Both of them smiled at each other before returning their attention to the match…until Anko whispered in his ear, "You know she has no tan lines…"

Iruka pondered that for a moment…before holding his nose and preventing himself from being rocketed back by a giant nosebleed at the thought of Anko sunbathing in the nude.

* * *

><p>With a few moments of brief reprieve from the rest of them, Kurenai charged Might Guy, who took a defensive stance. The two of them started exchanging furious blows with each other, blocking and being blocked as they tried to counterstrike. The force of the blows they exchanged could actually be felt by the audience as invisible ripples seemed to reverberate throughout the stadium as each blow connected. Suddenly, Guy's experience as a Taijutsu master shined through, as he managed to land a solid right to Kurenai's left cheek, knocking her off-balance.<p>

Guy pressed his advantage and jumped into the air to strike at Kurenai from above. As he descended upon Kurenai, he shouted his next attack, **"Severe Leaf Hurricane."**

Kurenai looked up and saw Guy descending. She grabbed the leg that he used to throw a powerful spinning kick her way with and threw him aside.

"Alright, then…" Kurenai began with a playful smile, "…I think I'll have some fun with this and take a page out of Naruto's book."

Before Guy landed, Kurenai was upon him. Kurenai put her hands in a cross-shaped hand seal, and three shadow clones suddenly appeared.

The three shadow clones ran towards Guy's position, while the original jumped high into the air.

The first Kurenai on the ground reached Guy and threw a three-hundred-sixty-degree spinning kick into Guy's midsection, and shouted, **"Kuh!"**

The second Kurenai threw a spinning kick on the opposite direction, once again connecting at Guy's solar plexus, shouting, **"Reh!"**

The third Kurenai threw a spinning kick in the same direction as the first, but this time connecting with Guy's jaw and shouting, **"Nai!"**

The three shadow clones, having finished their task, dispelled, while the original was still high in the sky, now rapidly descending towards Guy's position. As she drew nearer to a stunned Guy, she twisted her body and sent a bone-crushing double fisted punch to Guy's solar plexus, driving him to the ground with the force of her blow, shouting, **"Namikaze Barrage!"** to finish her attack.

Guy hit the ground so hard that a crater formed where he landed. Down but not out, he took a few seconds to recover while the others were starting to get up and recover.

"Kurenai Namikaze Barrage, huh?" Naruto asked with a smirk and a laugh.

"Well, it might be a little premature," Kurenai responded with a smile, "But it was fun! Besides, it has a nicer ring to it than Kurenai Yuhi Barrage, don't you think?"

Naruto chuckled, "I suppose it does, at that. You do realize that I wouldn't be caught dead using that today, right?"

"Of course I do…as I said, it was fun, that's all," Kurenai retorted, sticking her tongue out at her fiancé before turned back to her opponents, giving them a chance to recover.

"Well," Kurenai began, "That was fun, but let's bring our other skills to the table now, what do you say? Hinata…" Kurenai turned to her former student, "…I'd like to fight you last, if I could. Could you please stay back until we're done here?"

Hinata, confused at such a request, but feeling that such a request would enable her to have the fight with Kurenai that she wanted to have, nodded in acquiescence. She stepped back in order to stay out of the way.

"Cocky to think that you'll be able to fight Hinata after beating all of us, aren't you?" Kakashi mused sarcastically as he staggered to his feet

"I think I've just shown that I have reason to be confident, Kakashi," Kurenai replied matter-of-factly.

Once the others were recovered, the battle resumed.

"Get clear!" Kakashi called out before he went through some hand seals and shouted, **"Fire Style: Fireball Ju****tsu,"** as a huge fireball escaped his lips towards Kurenai's direction, the others jumping clear of the jutsu's path.

As Kakashi was doing this, Kurenai released one of the seals on her forearm, and out popped a shadow clone of Kurenai. The clone dispelled as soon as it was released. Kurenai made a few hand seals and shouted, **"Water Style: Water Wall"**.

The air around Kurenai coalesced into a wall of water that stopped Kakashi's fireball in its tracks.

Gasps and murmurs of astonishment went through the audience at such a display of water-style mastery. Not since the Second Hokage had such control over water been documented! To be able to use water-style ninjutsu without a nearby source of water was an otherwise unheard-of feat! So how was Kurenai able to pull it off?

* * *

><p>Mei and Tsunade were in the Kage booth, watching the action. Both of them had already been quite impressed with Kurenai's ability to manhandle her opponents with Taijutsu alone, but to see her capable of pulling a feat of such magnitude off using just water chakra and the moisture in the air was simply exceptional!<p>

"Just what else has the brat left out of his reports about Kurenai's abilities, I wonder?" Tsunade asked, flabbergasted at the display before them.

"Tsunade…" Mei began, "…based on what we're seeing here, I think a change of plan might be in order."

"I think you're right," Tsunade agreed, "Okay, then, here's what we'll do for round two…"

* * *

><p>Once the Water Wall had collapsed, there was Kurenai, unharmed and unwinded. When they all took a look at her, they saw that her eyes had changed! The area around her eyelids was a reddish-orange color, while the irises in her eyes were golden! What really shocked them all was when they saw her pupils – they were shaped like a horizontal bar! Kurenai was in Naruto's Sage Mode!<p>

She immediately went through a short series of hand seals while speaking, "Kakashi, you might recognize this one!"

Once her hand seal sequence was complete, she shouted, **"Fire Style: Searing Migraine"**.

Kakashi's eyes widened at the name of the jutsu. He remembered just how powerful the jutsu was when Kakuzu of the Akatsuki had used it.

"Everyone, get back!" he yelled to his comrades, all of whom immediately jumped back as far as they could go. Kurenai breathed out onto the arena floor, covering almost all of it in flames. They were so hot and so great in quantity that the audience all began to sweat at the sweltering heat.

* * *

><p>"She's mastered Sage training, as well?" asked a stunned Tsunade, now grateful that Mei had suggested what she had for a change in the Second Round.<p>

"Apparently! And that jutsu…I wonder if she'd be interested in trading jutsu with me before I leave?" Mei commented, further impressed with Kurenai's abilities.

"Who knows? She might be…" Tsunade answered in an intrigued manner while keeping her eyes glued to the fight below her.

* * *

><p>Kakashi, not wanting to use the Chidori in an exhibition, began to gather chakra into his hand, forming a Rasengan. Once Kurenai had ceased the output of her own jutsu, having given herself some space, she started preparing a Rasengan of her own, though hers was red in color. Kakashi began to charge Kurenai the moment his Rasengan was ready, while Kurenai did the same. Kakashi's eyes widened as he noticed her red Rasengan, but he was already committed to his attack. All he could do was channel more chakra into his own Rasengan and hope that it would overpower Kurenai's.<p>

As they approached each other, they both drew their hands back, shouting the names of their attacks.

"**Rasengan,"** Kakashi shouted.

"**Fire Style: Rasengan,"** Kurenai shouted at the exact same time as Kakashi, again surprising everyone in the audience – even more so that she had done it without the use of a shadow clone.

As their attacks collided, Kurenai's fire-enhanced Rasengan tore through Kakashi's Rasengan, causing his arm to smolder and his sleeve to burn away. Kakashi's thoughts were racing as he witnessed the attack, _'Kurenai can add her element to the Rasengan, too? And she can do it without a clone?'_

As Kurenai's red ball tore through Kakashi's blue ball and connected to his arm, Kakashi jumped away from her, clutching at his arm in pain, while Kurenai knocked him out with a chop to the back of the neck. Naruto came around to Kakashi and flashed away with him, immediately flashing back…alone. Now Kakashi was out of the fight – to everyone's further surprise, it was rather quickly, too.

* * *

><p>"Fire Style: Rasengan?" Tenten asked in shock.<p>

"We probably shouldn't be surprised, Tenten," Neji responded, "After all, the world's strongest man has been giving her his undivided personal attention for the last nine months."

* * *

><p>Kurenai didn't even stop to rest; she immediately charged across the ring with such speed that she was leaving after-images…or was she literally teleporting her way across the field? Her speed was such that they couldn't tell.<p>

"Yamato, Aoba, I need you two to distract her!" Guy immediately shouted, "I need a few seconds to get my Celestial Gates open!"

Both Yamato and Aoba nodded and proceeded to attack Kurenai two on one, this time not underestimating her speed.

"**First Gate: Gate of Opening – Release!"** Guy shouted, charging up and preparing for a massive taijutsu assault on Kurenai.

"**Wood Style Jutsu,"** Yamato shouted as he sent hundreds of vines Kurenai's way from his arm. Kurenai jumped on top of the vine formation and ran on top of it, speeding her way towards Yamato, before immediately jumping into the air as Aoba attacked.

"**Second Gate: Gate of Rest - Release!"** Guy shouted once more as another surge of power was felt within the arena.

"**Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb,"** Aoba shouted, breathing a white hot jet of flame at Kurenai, who was twisting this way and that, avoiding it while she landed. Once she had landed, she decided to take a different approach. She immediately backed off, jumping into the air once more as she prepared another Fire Style: Rasengan, but this time, her Rasengan grew steadily larger, becoming almost the size of Naruto's own Wind Style: Rasenshuriken. Kurenai waited until she had crested in the air as she shouted her attack while releasing it.

"**Third Gate: Gate of Life – Open!"** Guy bellowed out, more loudly this time, as yet another surge of power was felt by all present, his skin beginning to turn red with the increased blood flow.

"**Fire Style: Heaven's Wrath,"** Kurenai shouted. Many in the audience noticed that Naruto was now smirking. Kurenai allowed herself to sail back down to earth, while her huge ball of flame stayed where it was…before it immediately started spewing out fireballs in all downward directions as though it was raining down! Not one of the fireballs went stray or towards the direction of the spectators.

Yamato, Aoba, Guy and Hinata could only dodge the hundreds of fireballs that were shooting at them, with no sign of letting up. Hinata used the Eight Trigrams: Rotation to repel the fireballs as they rained down. Kurenai suddenly vanished into thin air and immediately appeared above Aoba. She had rematerialized in a kicking position, her foot in contact with Aoba's face. Aoba's body whipped around by the apparent force of the kick as he was sent spinning back to earth at such speed that he whistled through the air and marked his landing with a crater even bigger than the one she'd made with Guy. Naruto flashed over to Aoba and removed his unconscious form from the field.

"I still need time, Yamato!" Guy instructed, prompting a nod from the wood style user. Yamato wove his hands together in a series of fast hand signs and shouted his next jutsu, **"Wood Style: Wood Armor"**.

Yamato's body was covered with wood that looked both incredibly hard and incredibly flexible, leaving only a space for his eyes so that he could see. He immediately went through another series of hand seals and shouted, **"Wood Style: Domed Wall Jutsu"**.

Gai could be heard shouting, **"Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain - Open!"**

Guy was immediately hidden as arcing planks of wood rose from the ground in front of him in a quarter-sphere, meeting at the apex and protecting him from the fireballs still raining down while he was opening his celestial gates. Yamato sped off towards Kurenai and prepared to face off against her in Taijutsu to buy Guy some time. His hopes of that were dashed as Kurenai simply pulled her fist back and connected to Yamato's chakra-strengthened Wood Armor…smashing it to pieces and sending Yamato speeding backwards towards the arena wall like a cannonball. He hit so hard that an indent of his body was created in a stone with cracks protruding out of it. Gravity peeled him out of the crater in the wall, causing him to slump to the ground unconscious.

Kurenai then proceeded towards the wooden dome. A smirk appeared on her face as she punched the ground in front of the dome, causing the ground to quake and form a huge crater, shattering the dome, and interrupting Guy's opening of the Fifth Gate.

* * *

><p>"What the?!" Sakura shouted from the stands as Kurenai smashed the ground and the wooden dome in one blow, "Did she somehow learn Tsunade's monster strength technique?!"<p>

* * *

><p>"<strong>Fifth Ga…"<strong> Guy began as he worked to get the gate open.

"**Oh, no you don't!"** Kurenai yelled exactly as he started to open the Fifth Gate, before going through a series of handseals at blinding speed, pulling out what looked like an explosive tag, and slapping it onto Guy's forehead, shouting, **"Sealing Jutsu: Celestial Gates Close and Lock!"**

Guy's chakra seemed to fade suddenly before he yelled out in what seemed to be agonizing pain. Kurenai gasped, fearing that she might have somehow injured the man very seriously as he writhed on the ground. Kurenai quickly removed the tag from his head the moment she saw blood begin to leak from his nose and eyes. As the tag was removed, Guy's eyes rolled into the back of his head and closed. He passed out; his breathing became shallow.

**(End BGM)**

* * *

><p>Sakura's shock turned to worry as she saw Guy's reaction to Kurenai's seal. The others around her could do naught but gape, while worried murmurs could be heard all around. Suddenly, through the murmurs and chatter, Naruto's voice could be heard projecting, "Sakura, Shizune! Come down here – we need your help!"<p>

Sakura didn't even bother to look for Shizune, she just vanished in a swirl of leaves and reappeared by Guy's body. Shizune materialized a moment afterwards. Both of them began going through handseals before green chakra covered their hands. They moved their hands over Guy's body and started scanning.

After a few moments, Shizune spoke up, "Well, he's not in life-threatening danger, but we need to get him to the hospital so that he can be treated. His first five chakra gates overloaded themselves – there's been some damage to them, but they can be repaired easily."

Kurenai let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Naruto looked as confused as Kurenai obviously was – her seal shouldn't have caused such a backlash in Guy's body. After Kurenai showed the seal to Naruto, they both went over it with a fine-toothed comb to ensure it wouldn't be harmful to the Taijutsu master.

"Shizune," Naruto began, "Can you tell us what your findings are when you're done with the complete diagnosis? Both Kurenai and I went over this particular seal specifically to prevent something like this from happening; this shouldn't have happened, and I'd like to know how and why it did."

Shizune nodded with a small smile, "Sure, Naruto. Don't worry, he'll be fine. We just need to get him to the hospital so we can fix him up."

Naruto nodded as Shizune and Sakura both vanished in a swirl of leaves with Guy, leaving only Naruto, Kurenai and Hinata in the battle arena.

Naruto quickly turned his attention to the audience and announced, "Don't worry, folks! The medics say Might Guy will be just fine as soon as he's treated!"

Soft applause and some cheering accompanied his announcement. Naruto quickly moved to Yamato in order to remove him from the arena, flashing out with him and flashing back without him. As the applause died down, Naruto announced once more, "Now, let's continue the match!"

Kurenai turned her attention to Hinata and proceeded walking toward her. Hinata, in turn, started to walk in Kurenai's direction. They both stopped at roughly ten paces distance from each other, each of them eyeing the other, neither making the first move.

After a few moments, Kurenai spoke up in a conciliatory manner, "Hinata, I get the impression that you have something to say."

"I have had time to think about what you said to me at my home after your engagement was announced…" Hinata responded, "…and while I may disagree with much of it, I don't believe that your intentions were harmful or malicious. After you and Naruto left, I've spent so much time giving careful thought to what you said to me…about how you're the best possible match for Naruto."

Kurenai nodded, prompting Hinata to continue, "I thought at first that you were insulting me…but I realize that this isn't true. There…have been times where I've seen you and Naruto around the village, and I've had a chance to watch the two of you. I can see that you understand him, and know him, in ways I would never have been able to. I…allowed myself to be blinded by my pain…and my rage. Both are still there. I loved Naruto with all my heart…the truth is that…" Hinata's voice began to break, "…I love him, still. But you also said to me that…if I love him, I'll do what's best for him…even if that means letting him go in my heart."

Kurenai smiled warmly at Hinata, proud of her for showing such courage publicly. Hinata continued, "But I want you to prove to me…right here and now…that you're the best woman for him, Kurenai-sensei."

Kurenai, knowing exactly what Hinata was asking, nodded in acceptance of her request before adopting a steely expression and responding, "Taijutsu only. Hinata, come at me with the intent to kill, or you won't be able to lay a scratch on me."

Hinata, while surprised at such a declaration from her former sensei, kept her expression schooled. She nodded, adopted the Gentle Fist stance, and activated her Byakugan.

"**Gentle**** Fist Art: Twin Lion Fists!"** Hinata yelled as chakra began to envelop her hands, taking on the shape of lions' heads as she balled her fists up.

She then proceeded to adopt another familiar stance as she spread her legs wide and extended her arms in opposing directions while keeping her fists closed, the lions' heads still glowing fiercely.

'_This attack is so chakra-intensive that I've only got one shot at it, so I have to make it count,'_ Hinata thought in determination as she prepared to execute her attack.

"**Gentle Fist Secret Art: Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Lion Fists!"** Hinata yelled as she prepared to execute this apparently new technique.

* * *

><p>Hiashi's eyes went wide as he heard his eldest daughter identify the technique she was about to use, thinking in shock, <em>'Hinata…just how far have you come?'<em>

A ghost of a smile crept across his face as he couldn't help but feel immense pride in his estranged daughter.

* * *

><p>Hanabi Sarutobi was sitting with Konohamaru near where the rest of Naruto's friends were, unable to keep a smile off of her face, <em>'I was so wrong about you, before, Hinata. I wish I could go back and do so many things differently. I'm proud of you, big sister; you'll lead the Hyuuga Cla<em>_n to greatness, I just know it.'_

Konohamaru noticed his wife's proud smile and brought his arm around her, bringing her in closer to him. She allowed herself to be drawn in to her husband's embrace…

* * *

><p>Hinata charged forward, approaching Kurenai with a speed that almost threw Kurenai off.<p>

"**Eight Trigrams: Two Fists!"** Hinata yelled as she threw two frightening fast strikes as Kurenai that she blocked with relative ease, though she knew better than to let her guard down.

"**Fou****r Fists!"** Two more strikes came at her just as quickly, though they were batted aside at the forearm this time.

"**Eight Fists!" **Four more strikes came. Kurenai was able to deflect them once more with little difficulty.

"**Sixteen Fists!"** Eight more strikes came. Kurenai blocked and deflected them once more, though she did so with a little more difficulty this time.

'_Her strikes are strong,'_ thought Kurenai as she gritted her teeth slightly, preparing to move faster and use her chakra nullification technique.

"**Thirty Two Fists!"** Sixteen more punches came in a flurry, most of them blocked and deflected by Kurenai, though a couple had gotten through. Kurenai suffered no internal or chakra-related damage as she had nullified the chakra strikes that connected.

Kurenai, in a moment of clarity, decided to match Hinata blow for blow in the last flurry, knowing that thirty two strikes would be the last salvo of blows to come through. Balling her fists, she reinforced them with chakra, preparing to use a lower-powered version of what appeared to be Tsunade's monster strength technique.

"**Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Lion Fists!"** yelled Hinata at the top of her lungs, throwing blow after blow at her former sensei. Kurenai, to Hinata's surprise, met each fist that she threw with one of her own, effectively cancelling out her blows. On the last punch, Hinata threw a feint towards Kurenai, who raised her fist to meet it…until Hinata spun out of the fist's reach and threw her last strike at Kurenai's jaw, connecting hard, much to everyone's surprise.

Kurenai was thrown back at the force of the blow. While not quite enough to knock her over, it was enough to cause her to stumble. Hinata was breathing heavily, apparently out of chakra, as her Byakugan unconsciously turned itself off. Kurenai rose to her feet and wiped some blood away from the corner of her mouth. Kurenai took a moment to steady herself, and once she was, she walked towards Hinata slowly.

Hinata collapsed to her knees in exhaustion, leaning forward and using her hands to hold herself up. Once Kurenai reached Hinata, she knelt down and put her hands on the girls shoulders, prompting Hinata to bring her gaze up to meet her sensei's. The smile on Kurenai's face said so much at that moment, bringing tears to Hinata's eyes.

"You did great, Hinata," Kurenai congratulated her warmly, "That was a magnificent technique, and you managed to draw first blood on me, here, today."

"I'm out of chakra…" she breathed out tiredly, "…why didn't you…take the offensive?"

"Because that wouldn't have proven that I'm the best woman for Naruto, would it?" Kurenai responded warmly and knowingly, "You wanted to see my love, not my battle prowess. You've seen my love for Naruto; I wanted to show you that I still love **you**…even though we've been estranged from each other for a long time."

Hinata suddenly understood. Kurenai's love to her had never faltered – despite Hinata's distancing herself from everyone. Kurenai had never tried to hurt her, and she hadn't ever hurt her through thoughtlessness, either. She knew her love for Naruto would remain faithful and steadfast – she had done, and would continue to do what Hinata had failed to do. She gave a weak, sad smile and nodded, "You…really are the best…match for him. I…"

"I know, my dear Hinata…" Kurenai interrupted her, pulling her into a warm hug. Hinata allowed herself to be drawn in and began to weep, burying her face into Kurenai's chest, bringing her own arms up around Kurenai's body.

"I know that your childhood was far harder than anyone deserves to suffer through. I know you've had to learn so many times…that life just isn't fair…" Hinata's weeps turned into body-wracking sobs at this point, "…and this is the first chance you've ever had to just let it all out, isn't it?"

Hinata nodded as she continued crying out the anger, the hurt, the resentment. Kurenai continued to comfort her through it, "It's alright, now. Forgive yourself. Just let it go…" Kurenai would coo and shush as she held the girl, sometimes strumming her fingers through the younger woman's hair.

Kurenai and Hinata simply stayed there, lost in their own little world. Naruto, on the other hand, noticed that the audience was mostly very quiet. He could hear a few sniffles in the crowd as they all seemed to be able to sympathize with the grieving heiress.

After a few minutes of this, Hinata calmed down and looked at Naruto through tear-filled eyes, "Lord Namikaze…errm…Naruto…" Naruto smiled as she said his name, "…I'm out of chakra. I am unable to continue, and I therefore concede the match." She added mentally, _'…and your love; I know you and Kurenai will be very happy with each other.'_

Naruto smiled once more in response to Hinata, now hearing that the icy anger and bitterness in her tone was gone. He turned his attention to the audience and announced, "Hinata Hyuuga has conceded the match! The winner of round one is Kurenai Yuhi!"

The crowd erupted into standing ovation and roared in applause at what they had just seen! Kurenai and Hinata both looked up at the crowd, Hinata settling into numb shock, while Kurenai just smiled and waved at the crowd, gesturing to Hinata indicating to them that the girl deserved their applause as well. Naruto walked over to the two of them, and wrapped Hinata into a warm hug of his own. She smiled softly, closed her eyes and brought her own arms around him as well. Kurenai managed to squeeze in between the two and hug them both, each of them wrapping one of their own arms around her in response.

They broke the three-way hug, and Naruto announced, "There will be a three-hour recess for lunch, and the second round will commence at Three PM."

Naruto was about to flash Hinata to the reception area, but she objected, "Actually, I'd like to walk there, if you two could assist me…" Naruto and Kurenai both smiled and nodded, each supporting her from either side. The crowd continued applauding as Naruto, Kurenai and Hinata all left the stadium floor, heading to the reception area reserved for the competitors and VIP's in attendance.

* * *

><p>The VIP Reception Hall of the Chunin Exam Stadium was abuzz with conversation about the fights that had just taken place. All of them knew of Kurenai's well-deserved reputation as one of the Leaf's best jounin, but never would anyone have imagined that she would so thoroughly dominate the first round against six more of the Leaf's best, including the great Sharingan Kakashi, who was a Kage-level shinobi in his own right! Everyone present could only wait in anticipation for Naruto and Kurenai to make their appearance.<p>

Even Yamato, Aoba, Genma and Kakashi had been stunned by the thoroughness of Kurenai's trouncing of all of them. Genma was nursing a very sore jaw and back, as was Aoba. Kakashi had his arm wrapped in bandages that seemed saturated with salve to treat his burns, and he was still grimacing slightly in pain. Yamato had regained consciousness and was himself nursing a sore chest where Kurenai had shattered his Wood Armor, and a sore back as well. Only Guy and Hinata were not present, Guy because he was still being treated at the hospital, and Hinata because she was being assisted to the reception hall by Naruto and Kurenai.

The room erupted into applause as Naruto and Kurenai made their entrance, each of them supporting an exhausted Hinata on either side. All three of them smiled at the reception they received, congratulations to both Kurenai and Hinata expressed from all over the room. Naruto and Kurenai guided Hinata to a seat with her name by it at one of the dining tables so that she could sit and rest. She thanked them both for helping her to her seat as they also took their own seats at the very same table, next to Tsunade and Mei. The absence of Guy and Shizune was noted as the other participants in the match were also seated at the table.

A quick blessing was administered over the meal and all present began to eat happily. It wasn't long before conversation about the fight and about Kurenai's abilities came to the fore.

"So, Kurenai…" Kakashi began, "…I'm curious - how did you manage to create an elemental Rasengan without a clone like Naruto?"

"Well…" Kurenai began, "…I was training to build my Fire Style: Rasengan the way that Naruto explained it needed to be done, by first creating the Rasengan and then changing the chakra nature to fire. But I thought, 'What if I were to create the change in chakra nature **before** I shaped a Rasengan out of it?' So, I tried it, and lo…it worked!"

Naruto picked up, "Yeah…I slapped myself on the forehead at how obvious that solution was. I can create a Wind Style: Rasengan now the same way."

"So then, does Kurenai's Fire Style: Rasengan defeat your Wind Style: Rasengan, Naruto?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"Actually, no…" Kurenai took the liberty to answer on Naruto's behalf, "…even though fire trumps wind, Naruto's chakra seems to have greater density than mine does, and his affinity to wind is also stronger than my affinity to fire, so they actually create a stalemate."

Kakashi nodded with interest. Tsunade was the next one to express her thoughts, "Kurenai, how did you learn my monster-strength technique?"

"Was that the same technique that you use?" Kurenai asked, "I just pulse my chakra at the end of where I make contact with my target and snap it back like a whip. I discovered it entirely by accident, I assure you."

"I can attest the truth of that claim," Naruto added in his fiancee's defense.

Not too long afterwards, Shizune materialized in the room, with a now-conscious Guy in tow. She assisted him to his seat at the table, while she took her place by Tsunade.

"Guy, it's good to see you're okay," Kurenai offered in greeting.

"But of course," Guy responded in typical "Guy" fashion, "It'll take more than that to extinguish the flames of my youth!" he finished with his tooth-glinting smile. With a sudden fire in his eyes, he exclaimed, "YOSH! Kurenai, you are now my NEW ETERNAL RIVAL!"

The temperature in the room suddenly dropped several degrees. An ominous, dark aura seemed to appear around Kurenai as her hannya mask appeared, her eyes glowing a malicious red.

With a creepy smile, she said in a maliciously sweet tone, "What did you just say, Guy?" uttering every word painstakingly slowly.

"Err…I err…said that, err…you're my…new…eternal…ri…" he began very nervously, breaking out in a cold sweat before he was interrupted by Kurenai.

"I'd better not be," she sang out as her hannya mask suddenly started weeping tears of blood. Guy souldn't nod in agreement fast enough as he sat down. The malevolent air in the room vanished, as though it was never there to begin with. Kurenai's face immediately adopted the friendly, warm expression that had adorned it before Guy made his declaration.

"What…was that?" Tsunade asked, her face pale, and her eyes wide with terror.

"What was what, Mom?" Kurenai asked, innocently.

"THAT?" she yelled, pointing at Kurenai, who simply raised a seemingly-confused eyebrow.

"You're better off not knowing," Naruto answered.

Mei, while as unnerved as everyone else save Naruto at the table, seemed intrigued at the effect that Kurenai had just created, _'I couldn't even create such terror in Ao when I used to threaten to kill him. I'd love to know how she did that, but…I have a feeling I'm better off not asking.'_

"So Shizune," Naruto suddenly asked, redirecting the conversation, "What did you find out about what happened to Guy?"

"Well, his Fifth Gate actually suffered more damage than the other four, because that's there the backlash began. I believe what happened was that Kurenai applied her seal at the exact moment where Guy started to open the gate. Opening the gate actually causes a bigger surge of chakra then allowing it to run through the gate, because it takes so much to get it open."

"The Gates themselves usually open within fractions of seconds, though, don't they?" Naruto inquired, to which Shizune nodded.

"Wow! The seal was applied exactly during that small fraction of a second…what are the odds?" Naruto asked in quiet amazement. Kurenai breathed a sigh in relief. There was no flaw with her seal; it was just the timing of its application. Nothing could have been done about it, and it couldn't have been predicted in any way.

Lunch continued, with people asking Kurenai about her Sage Mode. She made sure to keep her answers limited, as she hadn't revealed all of her secrets yet, and there was still another round for her to fight. She didn't want to tip her hand too early, so she revealed that her Sage Mode was similar yet different to Naruto's, in that her own Sage Mode elevated her chakra control far more than it did her reserves, though she was more powerful in Sage Mode than not. Its physical capabilities were similar to Naruto's own, but she chose not to reveal more than that.

Time passed as they all talked, and before they knew it, three o'clock began to roll around. Naruto and Kurenai found themselves once again on the Stadium Floor, listening once more to the thunderous roar of the crowd's applause. The first round participants were all seated in the stands now, all of them in eager anticipation of what the second round would bring, and what else Kurenai would pull out of her hat. Tsunade had told the two of them that the opponent of the second round would introduce themselves so as to keep them in suspense.

As three o'clock hit, Tsunade and Mei both walked out onto the Stadium floor. Kurenai and Naruto both raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what one of them, or both of them, had planned. Tsunade then announced to the crowd, "Given the spectacular display by Kurenai Yuhi in the first round of this exhibition, a change has been implemented for the second round! Kurenai's original opponent for this round was going to be me! But after some discussion with the Mizukage here, we decided that…to give you all the best show we possibly could…Kurenai will be fighting against both the Mizukage AND the Hokage, in a two-on-one…ANYTHING GOES match!"

* * *

><p><strong>SO! Who saw THAT coming? How will it end up? Who knows? You'll find out in the next chapter! And how about that? Hinata was not beyond redemption. Anywho, I'm very happy that all of you have stuck it out for this long, and I hope that I've made this chapter worth the LONG wait – it really was VERY hard for me to write. Hopefully this next fight will be a little easier for me, and as always, REVIEWS are very much appreciated, especially if you can give me helpful pointers and tips as to how I can improve my writing a fight scene.<strong>

**That said, see you next time, my friends, in "The Main Event – Part 2"!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Standard, and in addition, I do not own any of the BGM tracks that I'm using, either.**

**And I am BACK! YES, FRIENDS, THIS REALLY IS AN UPDATE! Not that I actually went anywhere, but this chapter was even harder to write than the last one – AND I HAD HELP WITH THIS ONE!**

**Before I give you this next chapter, there are some things that I want to make perfectly clear, both for my detractors at how I present certain characters**** in my story, and for those who are cheering me on at how I present those same characters. First of all, I do not write my stories and post them here to please those who read them (though I'm glad if I happen to do so). I write and post my stories here t****o please ME. That's it. Now if you present an idea that I really like that I can use in my story, I'll gladly add it in, and give the person who gave me the idea all due credit for it. But why waste the mental energy to get bent out of shape at a work o****f complete and utter fiction? I really don't have any idea why some of you take my presentation of the characters in this story ****so personally**** (ever watched the movie "Misery"?). It's absurd - it makes no sense at all. If you enjoy it, I'm glad you do, a****nd I hope you continue to do so. If you don't, I'm not writing to make you happy. Deal with it.**

**Second of all, I have NEVER, nor will I EVER, change the overall plot of my story just to please my readers. I say this because of a recent review I have rec****eived. Someone made a comment about how I must have given Hinata some redemption to please all of the people out there who didn't like the road I had Hinata walk down, and to show somehow that I don't hate Hinata, when in truth I must be a "closet Hinata ****hater" (still scratching my head at that one). Frankly, I don't really care what people think, but it does annoy me to no end when people jump to hasty, stupid conclusions. To set the record straight (and hopefully to keep people from bringing up the iss****ue again, as it's really gotten old), I planned on redeeming Hinata from the very start – before I even posted the first chapter of this story. I am telling the story that ****I want to tell****, NOT the story that ****everyone else thinks I should tell**** or wants me t****o tell. You can look as far back as Chapters 7 and 8 to see some ****very strong hints**** that Hinata was redeemable, and redemption was likely to happen for her.**

**That said, thanks to all of you whose reviews have been useful to me. You know who you are, my friends! But…a VERY special thank you to my good, good writing buddy Sabaku Ookami, who was instrumental in actually getting me started in a productive, focused direction when writing this chapter again (I had expressed how hard the last chapter was to write in the last chapter's A/N – This chapter was exponentially harder for me). So I am pleased to give Sabaku Ookami a shout, and an expression of sincere gratitude – read his work, too! He writes great stuff, and he and I have done a lot of collaborative effort together! Sabaku's greatest strength is his ability to take any idea, or collection of ideas, and create truly unique plots out of them!**

**And now that both the author's rant and the author's acknowledgments are completed, on to the story…**

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><p><strong>Previously, on "To Really Know Someone":<strong>

_As three o'clock hit, Tsunade and Mei both walked out onto the Stadium floor. Kurenai and Naruto both raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what one of them, or both of them, had planned. Tsunade then announced to the crowd, "Given the spectacular display by Kurenai Yuhi in the first round of this exhibition, a change has been implemented for the second round! Kurenai's original opponent for this round was going to be me! But after some discussion with the Mizukage here, we decided that…to give you all the best show we possibly could…Kurenai will be fighting against both the Mizukage AND the Hokage, in a two-on-one…ANYTHING GOES match!"_

**And now, the long-awaited Chapter 16: The Main Event – Part 2:**

* * *

><p>Before doing anything else, Naruto applied a seal to the Stadium Wall. When he activated it, a field of purple began spreading from the seal to encompass the walls, extending upwards to cover the seating areas and curving inwards to the outer edge of the external stadium walls. The field then seemed to disappear.<p>

Once done, Naruto turned back to the three contestants and informed them, "Okay, the protection barrier has been set, so you can all go as crazy as you like once the match begins."

**(BGM: Naruto Shippuden OST – Kakuzu's Theme)**

"Kurenai, are you ready?" Naruto asked, loud enough for the crowd to hear. She responded with a nod.

"Kages, are you ready?" he asked as he turned to Tsunade and Mei, who also both nodded in response.

Naruto raised his hand and lowered it in a chopping motion, "FIGHT!"

Wasting no time, both Mei and Tsunade charged forward, Tsunade removing her green jacket while in motion. When they had halved the distance, they split off, Mei to the left, Tsunade to the right, in an attempt to catch Kurenai in a pincer attack. As they approached, Kurenai entered a guard stance and prepared to defend against their attacks, her eyes flitting back and forth between both of her opponents.

As they both approached, they began to throw lightning-fast flurries of jabs and kicks to Kurenai, who to their surprise, was successfully blocking almost all of them. Those that she didn't block, she dodged by weaving in and out of them as well as switching between using her hands and feet to support her body to add to her maneuverability. While she was dodging attacks with a handstand, she executed a spinning handstand kick with her legs spread wide. Successfully connecting to both of her opponents' faces, she quickly sprang back to her feet and in their single instant of disorientation, she grabbed the lining of Tsunade's kimono top and without losing any speed or momentum, spun around towards Mei, let go of Tsunade, and leveled a strong hook into Tsunade's face, increasing the velocity with which she flew towards Mei. As Tsunade's flying form connected with her partner, they were both sent backwards, sprawling to the ground some twenty feet away. Seeing a slight red smear on the knuckles with which she had hit Tsunade, it was evident to Kurenai that first blood in this fight went to her.

Not willing to give them a chance to breathe, she immediately followed up, leaping into the air so that she could aim a kick where the two of them were. Mei was the first to recover, her eyes going wide upon seeing Kurenai descending right at the two of them. She grabbed Tsunade and rolled the two of them out of the way as Kurenai's foot connected with the ground, creating an enormous crater.

Tsunade, having recovered fully by that point, separated from Mei as both of them leaped into the air to put some distance between them and their opponent. While she was airborne, she addressed Mei, "We can't just attack her at the same time. I'll charge in while you follow up behind me."

Mei nodded, now knowing just how tough of an opponent Kurenai was. As they both landed, Tsunade propelled herself forward towards Kurenai with all the speed she could muster. Tsunade cocked her right fist back as she prepared to send a wicked monster-strength-enhanced hook to Kurenai. Kurenai sent some chakra to her left hand and thrust her palm into Tsunade's extended fist. Tsunade's fist stopped at Kurenai's hand; she hadn't even made Kurenai move! The shockwave that extended from the point of contact, however, could be felt throughout the stadium, leaving the spectators flabbergasted that someone could stop Tsunade's monster-strength in such a manner…

* * *

><p>"How is that even possible?!" Hanabi asked, amazed at the display.<p>

"You got me, Babe!" Konohamaru answered, just as dumbfounded as his wife.

* * *

><p>The instant Tsunade's fist struck Kurenai's hand, Mei leaped into the air at incredible speed and darted forward. Kurenai's eyes went wide as she jumped back just enough to avoid Mei's extended fist before the two of them began to start exchanging blows. Punches and kicks, blocks and dodges were performed at lightning speed as Mei and Kurenai struggled to each gain the upper hand. Kurenai allowed Mei to start pushing her backwards as she wanted to put a little more distance between the two of them and Tsunade in order to not be caught off-guard again.<p>

Tsunade paid close attention to Mei's and Kurenai's exchange, watching closely for an opening. As Mei picked up speed to the degree that Kurenai was forced to focus on her, Tsunade ran forward and then to Mei's right…and punched the ground, creating a crater and causing a tremor. The moment Mei felt the tremor, she leaped into the air.

Kurenai, however, had been so focused on watching Mei's form and learning what she could about her fighting style that she was caught by surprise. She lost her balance as the ground began to shake, which Tsunade then capitalized on!

Tsunade ran up to an unbalanced Kurenai and kicked dust into her eyes. Kurenai flinched and brought her hand up as the grains started stinging her eyes. Tsunade threw a side-snap kick into Kurenai's abdomen, immediately followed by a knee to her face as Kurenai doubled over from the first blow. As Kurenai's head snapped back up from the knee strike, Tsunade drew her fist back and threw a devastating left hook into Kurenai's face, causing her lips to flap wildly from the force of the blow as she was sent sailing backwards in a daze. She landed hard on the ground and rolled a few times before stopping facedown.

* * *

><p>"Oooh, that had to hurt," Tenten grunted out as she winced, imagining herself on the receiving end of one of Tsunade's punches.<p>

Neji just sat there, watching, unable to think of anything to say.

* * *

><p>Mei was breathing somewhat heavily from the effort she was forced to exert in her tussle with Kurenai, while Tsunade was panting slightly. Kurenai planted her hands on the ground, pushing her body up and onto her hands and knees, and shook her head to clear the cobwebs, blinking a few times to not only regain her bearings but also to get the dirt out of her eyes.<p>

"I'm actually surprised I've held out this long against the two of them," Kurenai said aloud, mostly to herself, as she got back to her feet, wiping the blood coming from her mouth with her forearm.

"I see I'll need to take this up a few notches," Kurenai said to her opponents.

"So that's not all you've got?" Mei asked her in friendly condescension, "Good to know."

"Oh no, that's not all I have," Kurenai answered back as she grinned knowingly, "In fact, I'm just getting started."

Out of nowhere, in what seemed to be the blink of an eye, Kurenai immediately teleported in front of Mei with her fist ground right into her face. Mei, having had no time to prepare for such an attack, took the full brunt of the blow, blood flying out of her mouth as she was propelled clear to the other side of the stadium and into the wall. She fell out of the wall, dazed and on the ground, but conscious.

In another blink of an eye, Kurenai teleported to Tsunade, this time with her foot extended upwards, having connected with Tsunade's chin. Tsunade went sailing into the air, while Kurenai reappeared above her with a Rasengan in her hand. Driving it into Tsunade's stomach, Kurenai sent her spinning into the ground. When she landed, she was still spinning, her body creating a small round hole in the dirt beneath.

* * *

><p>"Well, I must admit," Hinata, having joined Neji and Tenten after lunch, observed, "I'm glad Kurenai-sensei didn't go on the offensive against me when I used my last attack."<p>

Her cousin and his wife looked at her with confused frowns.

Hinata answered their unasked question, "Kurenai-sensei was able to stop Lady Tsunade's punch with her palm, and she actually made a crater in the ground about as big as Lady Tsunade's in the last round. Kurenai-sensei can give as good as Lady Tsunade can, now."

The other two just raised their eyebrows and nodded; the heiress had a point.

* * *

><p>Noticing that Mei had gotten to her feet, Kurenai started forming hand signs and shouted out, "<strong>Fire Style: Fire Dragon Jutsu.<strong>"

The fire from her mouth as she had molded her fire chakra grew, and took on the form of an enormous dragon that charged in the direction of the two Kages, Tsunade still regaining her bearings.

"**Water Style: Water Wall,**" stated Mei, as a wall of water formed from the spray that came from her mouth, stopping the dragon and covering the area with steam, though not completely evaporating the wall.

"**Water Style: Water Senbon**," she added and the wall of water turned into what appeared to be thousands of senbon needles as wide as small knives, and as long as katana blades. The moment Kurenai landed, Mei sent them right at her at very high speed.

Kurenai quickly formed hand signs to cast her next jutsu, "**Earth Style: Mud Wall**."

The wall was formed quickly as she spat out inhuman quantities of mud within a span of a couple of seconds. When it reached a height of roughly twenty feet, the wall immediately hardened and dried, stopping the projectiles from making mincemeat out of her. Kurenai then jumped back, sensing danger. Tsunade punched through the wall then continued through with the punch and shattered the ground where she had stood before.

* * *

><p>"Wow!" Anko exclaimed, "I never expected anything like this!"<p>

"Yeah," Iruka answered with an enthusiastic smile, "Of course, after this, I don't think that people will get anywhere near as excited about watching the Chunin Exam finals, anymore!"

"No kidding," Anko responded before giving a teasing smile, "I only hope Naruto can handle her, now that she's this good."

Iruka chuckled nervously, "Yeah, I'm a little scared for him, now."

* * *

><p>Kurenai was beginning to understand why she seemed to be at such a disadvantage against the two: while she may have power and skill that matches, and possibly surpasses, the other two, she had nowhere near the degree of experience that these two possessed in fighting Kage-level opponents! Both of them had excellent taijutsu, and Mei was also quite adept at fighting from long range. On top of this, both of them seemed to sync very well with each other!<p>

"**Shadow Clone Jutsu,**" muttered Kurenai. She had to learn more about her opponents, and she wasn't about to use her remaining Sage Mode clones this early on – especially not when there was a good chance that these two hadn't even begun to pull out their most powerful techniques and attacks yet! Tsunade would no doubt summon, while Mei, from what she knew, could use Lava Style and Boil Style ninjutsu because of her two kekkei genkai!

Five clones of Kurenai poofed into existence, and all of them immediately charged Mei, engaging her in taijutsu again. Kurenai created five more shadow clones and sent them at Tsunade, once more engaging her in taijutsu.

It didn't take long for memories of the clones to start returning to her as the clones got dispelled. When the clones' memories returned to her, she smiled upon realizing that she had discovered a weakness that both Tsunade and Mei seemed to share! Tsunade, seeing Kurenai's smile, suddenly knew the purpose behind Kurenai's use of shadow clones!

"Mei, with me!" she shouted as she bit her thumb, wiped the blood across her right palm, and started going through hand signs.

"Oh no, you don't!" Kurenai exclaimed as she spat some of the blood from cuts in her mouth into her hand and went through the same hand signs.

Both summoners threw their hands down and at the same time, shouted, "**Summoning Jutsu!**"

**(End BGM)**

On one side of the stadium were Kurenai and Mei, standing atop Katsuyu, while on the other side was Kurenai standing atop Gamabunta. Loud cheers went up from the audience; none of them were expecting this battle to elevate to this level!

"**My Lady,**" Katsuyu began, "**Is this the Chunin Exam Stadium?**"

"Yes, Katsuyu, it is…and I do apologize for summoning you for this, but…" Tsunade began to chuckle sheepishly, "…even though this is little more than a friendly spar, it's also a Kage-level battle."

"**I see. Very well, then, My Lady. I am at your disposal.**"

"Thank you, Katsuyu."

As their conversation ended, another began as Gamabunta greeted Kurenai, "**Hey there, tadpole!**"

"Hello, Daddy!" Kurenai greeted the giant toad, immediately assuming her "daddy's little girl" persona, causing everyone in the audience, as well as Tsunade and Mei, to collectively sweat drop.

"**So, not that I mind, but please tell me why you summoned me here?**"

"I had to, Daddy," Kurenai answered with a pout before pointing at Tsunade, "She started it!"

Tsunade face-faulted at Kurenai's accusation while the audience just chuckled.

"**Oh…well that's okay. Your Daddy's here to finish it for you, tadpole!**"

The huge toad immediately turned to Naruto, who was standing below, "**Hey Naruto!**"

"Yeah, Chief?"

"**You'd better call this match in my little tadpole's favor, or you're in for a world of hurt!**" he bellowed at his primary summoner below.

"You tell him, Daddy!" Kurenai exclaimed happily with an exaggerated nod as she folder her arms across her chest sternly.

"Hey you two…" Naruto began in a warning tone, "…Don't make me summon Ma!"

Both Gamabunta and Kurenai blanched at that. Naruto couldn't help but smirk in grim satisfaction.

"**Maybe we should quit while we're ahead, huh?**" Gamabunta suggested to Kurenai in a low voice.

"Good idea," Kurenai responded back just as lowly before adopting her girly posture again, "So, can I have some oil, Daddy? Please, please, please?"

"**Of course, t****adpole! Anything for my little girl!**"

Kurenai kissed Gamabunta on the bridge between his eyes and said, "Thank you, Daddy!"

Kurenai then turned to fact Tsunade and Mei, just as Tsunade ordered Katsuyu, "Now!"

"**Acid**** Slime!**" Katsuyu called out as she spat copious amounts of acidic slime from her oral cavity.

Bunta immediately spewed oil from his mouth in response as Kurenai flew through a few hand seals and called her jutsu, "**Fire Style: Toad Flame Bomb"**, breathing fire onto the oil, causing it to ignite into a huge stream of white-hot flame that collided with Katsuyu's acid. Katsuyu's attack began losing ground until Tsunade began to feed chakra into Katsuyu to add to her attack. Even this wasn't enough to stem the advance the Toad Flame Bomb that kept edging ever closer to the Slug Boss and her two current passengers.

"**Water Style: Raging Waves**" Mei called out as she finished a hang sign sequence and spewed out some water to assist Katsuyu's attack. Even with all of them working together, all they could do was halt the advance of the flaming oil.

'_Kurenai must have an incredibly powerful fire affinity,_' Tsunade thought to herself, '_But she's also got to be fairly low on chakra…_' she turned to look at Mei, who was straining with her attack, _'…then again,__ so are we. We're going to have to end this, soon._'

"**My Lady,**" Katsuyu telepathically called to her master, "**I'm about to run out of slime. I'm going to disintegrate so that we can avoid the fireball. I need to return home.**"

"I understand, Katsuyu. Thank you for all of your help."

With that, Katsuyu disintegrated into thousands of smaller versions of herself to allow Mei and Tsunade a safe descent before vanishing in a poof of smoke to return to her own realm. Once Katsuyu had disappeared, Kurenai ceased pouring chakra into her Toad Flame Bomb, bringing the flames to a halt.

"**Well, tadpole, I think my work here's done. Do you need me to hang around?**" the Toad Chief asked cheerfully.

"Thanks, Daddy-Bunta, but I think I can take it from here," Kurenai answered in her childishly-demure manner, "But if I need you again, can I summon you back?"

"**Of course, tadpole! See ya later, and good luck!**" Gamabunta responded, excusing himself and disappearing inhis own poof of smoke while Kurenai seamlessly sailed down to the ground.

Once she got to the ground, though, it was clear to all around that she was breathing somewhat heavily. Looking over at her two other counterparts, they were breathing just as heavily as she was.

All of them took a few moments to catch their breath before Tsunade spoke up, "So, Kurenai…I think I can say with some safety that the two of us are very impressed with your power and skills…" she looked to Mei, who nodded in agreement, before turning back to her opponent, "…so what do you say about calling it a draw, as we're all running pretty low on chakra, here?"

Kurenai smirked in response, "Sorry, Mom. I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve, yet."

Kurenai then released another of the seals on the armband around her bare arm, and with another poof of smoke, she was once again in Sage Mode. She placed her hands into the Ram hand-sign and shouted, "**HAH!**"

**(BGM: Naruto Shippuden OST 2: Rinkai (or Critical Strike))**

Immediately, both Tsunade and Mei began to feel disoriented: their eyesight started growing blurry, and objects started twisting and morphing in their shape, they started hearing a multitude of different noises, and found that their noses were being assaulted by a mix of both pleasant and rancid smells! Shortly afterwards, the taste of bile began to creep up into their throats, and strange itching and burning sensations, accompanies by what felt like dull aches, began to crawl across their skin and through their insides.

They both began to feel disoriented, as though they were suffering from vertigo, unable to tell which way was up and which was down. Both of them started to realize that they were trapped in a genjutsu and prepared to release it. As they charged their chakra, Mei preparing for a pulse, Tsunade preparing her chakra flow identification, the sensations grew worse. They couldn't tell, but Kurenai was seemingly moving towards them at high speed. They saw multiple copies of her, and prepared to release the jutsu they were trapped in, only to find that when they performed their releases, Mei could only relieve her itches and burns, while Tsunade could only latch on to one or two of the foreign chakra sensations invading her body!

Both of them raised their arms in preparation to block the attacks, only for several of them to pass right through.

'_Simple Academy Clones_,' they both thought in relief before suddenly realizing that a few of the clones were in fact solid. Both of them started trusting their instincts and trying to evade and counter while throwing the genjutsu off, but they were becoming more and more confused and disoriented! Both of them started to stagger more at the furious flurries of punches and kicks thrown by Kurenai and her clones, being thrown further off by being unable to tell which ones were real and which ones were illusory!

Kurenai was having a field day! Using sensory genjutsu, and also using mind-attacking genjutsu to make them think she was using sensory genjutsu was a sheer stroke of brilliance on her part, if she was to say so herself! The sensations of taste and smell had been sensory attacks, but the sights, sounds, and vertigo had been mind-attacking genjutsu to make them think she was attacking their senses, when she was in fact attacking their mental perceptions! She was pretty sure that Tsunade and Mei wouldn't figure it out.

She loved the abilities her Sage Mode afforded her: the ability and control to cast multiple genjutsu onto multiple opponents at the exact same time, without hand seals, and even to throw layer after layer of genjutsu at her opponents with only fractions of a second between them. Using the combination of illusionary clones and solid clones in her attacks, she was able to confuse them and disorient them even more and put them into defensive modes that bordered almost on panic. Even Itachi Uchiha wouldn't likely be able to overcome such a brutal assault!

Seeing them sway back and forth from her quick jabs and kicks on top of the disorientation she had them trapped in, she decided it was time for the finale!

"**Infinite ****Darkness Jutsu!**" she called out, using only the Ram hand sign! The area around Tsunade and Mei immediately grew back as night, unable to be penetrated, though from the outside, the spectators could see a dome of inky midnight black, extending about 15 yards or so out in all directions from the center – a perfectly symmetrical hemisphere.

Tsunade and Mei became even more disoriented, as now, they had been robbed of any and all visual markers to assist in keeping them somewhat grounded. Both of them grew nauseous as now they really couldn't tell which way was up or down!

Kurenai created a few more shadow clones and sent them into the darkness. She decided to dispel it, and to dispel the visual distortion, at least, as they entered the black dome. Mei was the first to be assaulted by the clones.

Mei started defending and counterattacking against Kurenai's clones, dispelling each of them as she hit them, being forced to take to the air to give herself more avenues for defense or attack. The last clone was above her; she struck out at the clone with more strength than she intended, given her current state…only for the clone to explode upon impact! Mei was forced to the ground at unbelievable speeds from the force of the concussion, hitting the ground and making another crater upon impact. She lay there, barely able to move due to both the concussive force of the explosion and the multiple genjutsu that she was still under. She threw up, and then passed out. Mei was out of the fight.

Kurenai herself was speeding around Tsunade, hitting her with monster-strength punches that matched Tsunade's own strength. It was only due to Tsunade's reinforcing her own body with chakra that she was able to withstand the blows, though she was always a fraction of a second too early or late with any counterblows that she tried to land.

One hard blow to the gut from Kurenai brought Tsunade to her knees, and caused her to throw up as well. Kurenai brought a hard elbow down onto Tsunade's back, causing the busty Kage to cry out in pain and making her throw up even more, now dry-heaving at having nothing left in her stomach to regurgitate!

**(End BGM)**

Naruto raised a hand at Kurenai, telling her to stop for a moment while he ascertained whether or not Tsunade could still fight.

At the reprieve from the genjutsu/taijutsu beating, Tsunade realized that Naruto must have wanted to hear from her whether or not she could continue. She raised her hand as she was gulping in swells of air before calling out, "I yield! I can't win this fight! I concede!"

Kurenai smiled in relief as she released all of the genjutsu that she had placed on both Mei and Tsunade before releasing her Sage Mode. Naruto turned to the audience and shouted out, "Lady Mizukage has been incapacitated, and Tsunade has conceded the match! Winner by knockout and by concession…" Naruto swept an arm in Kurenai's direction, who was still breathing somewhat heavily, "…Kurenai Yuhi!"

**(BGM: NARUTO Shippuden OST: Departure to the Front Lines)**

The Stadium roared in thunderous applause and standing ovation! Not a spectator present was seated at the unprecedented spectacle that they had just witnessed! Kurenai Yuhi had not only bested six of the village's best jounin – making it look easy! – but she had just now bested two Kage kunoichi at the same time, and was in much better shape than the other two.

Naruto walked over to his fiancée, brought her into his arms and off the ground, and laid a passionate kiss right onto her mouth, Kurenai throwing her arms around his neck and bending one of her knees as she indulged in the kiss. The audience began to scream even louder, and a few cat-calls accompanied the applause that the red-eyed beauty was receiving. After a few moments, they separated and Naruto lowered her back to her feet.

Both of them walked over to Tsunade to help her to her feet and bring her towards Mei. Once they had reached the downed redhead, Tsunade knelt down and brought two medical-chakra-laced hands to Mei's temples, bringing her back to consciousness. Mei slowly opened her eyes and saw a beaten-up Tsunade standing over her with a soft smile while Naruto and Kurenai were standing a few yards back, each with one arm around the other and smiling at the downed woman.

"Errn…" Mei groaned, "…what happened?"

"Kurenai handed both of our asses to us, that's what happened," Tsunade answered with a laugh before asking, "Are you feeling alright? Can you stand?"

Mei slowly raised herself into a sitting position and tested her senses. Feeling grounded, she nodded and answered, "Yes, I think I can," before placing her hands beneath her and pushing herself upwards, rising back to her feet.

Turning to Kurenai, she smiled, walked over to her, and gave her a warm, friendly hug, "You earned today's victory! I've never fought a kunoichi that was anywhere near as powerful as you. Be proud of yourself, Kurenai."

"Thank you, Mei," Kurenai responded as she closed her eyes and hugged the woman back. They both separated before Tsunade came in and hugged Kurenai in congratulations as well.

Separating from her, Tsunade suggested, "Well, wave to all of your adoring fans, here, Kurenai! It's your day, and it's you they're applauding!"

"Oh…right!" Kurenai offered with a blush before looking upwards at the audience, smiling wide, and waving at them. This caused this roars and claps to become louder, still! The four souls down on the arena floor simply basked in the applause and cheering, glad for Kurenai to have her moment! Naruto scooped her into a bridal carry before lifting her over his head, one hand on his back and the other on her thigh just below her seat, holding her up in proud display, bringing yet more cheers from the audience! This continued until Naruto let her down several minutes later, taking her off the field, along with Mei and Tsunade, and everyone started leaving the Stadium, unable to talk about anything except the spectacular fight they had just seen!

**(End BGM)**

* * *

><p>Tsunade and Mei had been invited by Naruto to his home for dinner that evening with him and his fiancée. Naruto had also extended an invitation to Hinata, but she had declined, citing clan-related business for that evening…though both he and Kurenai were very encouraged when she asked if they could do it another time. They had settled on the night after tomorrow, with Hinata asking to extend the invitation to Hanabi and Konohamaru, and her father. Both Naruto and Kurenai had happily agreed.<p>

Shizune had accompanied her mistress toNaruto's home. All three of them were quite impressed with Naruto's home, and even more so with his and Kurenai's combined culinary skills. Eating yet another meal fit for a king, they all enjoyed dinner and friendly conversation. The topic of discussion shifted to Kurenai's abilities and the fight earlier that day.

"So Kurenai, I'm curious," Tsunade began, "How exactly did you manage to prevent me from using chakra flow identification to dispel your genjutsu earlier today?"

"Chakra flow identification?" Mei asked curiously.

"Oh, that's right, you wouldn't know," Tsunade responded, addressing her Hidden mist counterpart, "Over most of the year, Naruto, Kurenai, and another of my shinobi, Neji Hyuuga, completed what Naruto called the Genjutsu Countering Project, designed for shinobi who have weaknesses for genjutsu, to have some skills to at least be able to better defend themselves against them. They created several new skills to counter and release genjutsu, the most basic of which they called 'Chakra Flow Identification'."

"Ahh, I see, now…" she turned to Naruto and Kurenai and complimented bemusedly, "…fascinating idea."

"Thanks," Kurenai responded, "It was actually Naruto's idea. He just enlisted my aid for my expertise in the art. But back to your question, Mom – the reason why is because I only attacked two of your senses, while the other three sensory distortions came because I cast a mind-attacking genjutsu to make you believe I was attacking your senses, so you were trying chakra flow identification on genjutsu that you should have been using chakra encasement on."

Tsunade's eyes lit up with understanding, "I see, now; very innovative, Kurenai," she finished with an impressed nod.

Mei decided to pose a query of her own, "I was curious about that teleporting technique you did during the earlier part of our fight. Was that a variant of the Hiraishin?"

"No, though it was made possible through the use of seals and time/space ninjutsu the same way Hiraishin is. But instead of pulling myself through space instantaneously, my jutsu actually accelerates time around my body, which is why it seemed like I was teleporting to you and everybody. I can only keep it up for a few seconds because it does begin to affect me if kept up any longer than that, so I use it for short bursts for surprise attacks."

"Fascinating!" Shizune exhorted with no small degree of enthusiasm, "To think that sealing makes such a phenomenon possible!"

"Oh, if it's one thing I've learned under my master's tutelage, it's that sealing makes just about anything possible. Fuinjutsu can do what any other ninja art can do, and it can do an infinite number of things that none of them can do," she recited proudly.

Tsunade posed another question, "Okay, there's something else I'd love to know. When you first sparred against Naruto…what was it, back in January?"

Kurenai nodded.

Tsunade pressed forward, "So when you first sparred against him, how did you measure up to him?"

Kurenai responded bluntly without shame, "He pretty handily kicked my ass."

"I see," Tsunade acknowledged her answer, "So, you've improved in leaps and bounds since that day, right?"

"That's right."

"When was the last time you sparred against Naruto?"

"I think it was…" she turned to Naruto inquisitively, "…what, four days ago?"

"Sounds about right," Naruto offered.

"Okay," Tsunade picked right back up, "And how did you measure up to him four days ago?"

Kurenai responded just as bluntly, "He pretty handily kicked my ass."

"Really?!" both Tsunade and Mei answered, stunned at Kurenai's revelation of her own power and skill compared to Naruto's.

"Yeah, it's true," Kurenai continued, "That's one of the reasons why I wasn't sure how I would fare against the two of you – even though I know I've made dramatic improvements, Naruto's been the only real bar I've been able to measure myself against. I was honestly surprised by how well I did against the two of you this afternoon."

Tsunade and Mei just sat there, completely bewildered, unable to imagine just how powerful Naruto himself had to be if he could easily defeat Kurenai, who had defeated the two of them at the same time, and rather decisively besides. Shizune's face was locked in a face-fault, not knowing what to say in response to what she'd heard. Naruto just let out a sheepish chuckle and looked at Kurenai, who decided to change the subject.

"So, as you all know, our wedding is only two short months away," Kurenai chirped in, bringing everyone's attention back, "And we're in the process of inviting everyone right now."

"That's wonderful!" Shizune exclaimed, "So, you two ready for your big day in the Capital?"

It was Tsunade who answered, "Actually, Lord Shin has agreed to allow Naruto and Kurenai to use Hokage Tower to host the ceremony if they wish, so that the village as a whole can attend the wedding, at least from a distance. The other nobles and dignitaries can all afford to make the trip, so it doesn't matter to them where it takes place."

"Really?" Naruto asked with bemused suspicion, "I was not aware of any such agreement."

"I was going to mention it to you next week when the plans entered their final stages," Tsunade answered, "There wasn't really any reason to bring it up before then…or rather, before now," she finished with a smirk directed at Shizune, who simply chuckled sheepishly.

"Well, we look forward to your wedding in the Mist," Mei interjected, making herself known once more, "Chojuro and I are very excited about making the trip and witnessing it. We might even bring little Yagura with us!"

Conversation eventually drowned itself back out into lighter topics. When the night finally came to an end, Naruto and Kurenai both wished the other three a good night before cleaning everything up. Kurenai, after helping him clean up, wished him a good night with the usual promises to see him bright and early for training, though Naruto had different plans in mind.

"You know, Baby, we don't need to train so hard anymore. If you want, we can cut back to a maintenance workout and keep up your sealing education while actually spend more time together just…you know…being with our significant other?"

Kurenai frowned in thought as she processed what Naruto had just said before responding, "Wow…you're right. We've spent so much of our time training that it's just habit for me, now…" she laughed before finishing with, "…I might actually have difficulty adjusting to all our new-found time!"

Naruto laughed with her at the humor behind their current dilemma. Kurenai added, "You know, your mother was the same way."

Naruto blinked, "Wait a minute…you knew my mother?"

This time it was Kurenai's turn to blink, "Didn't I tell you?"

"Not one word about it."

Kurenai frowned in thought, as though recollecting, "I must have…at some point?"

"Nuh-uh," Naruto shook his head, "I would've remembered that particular conversation."

"That's…odd!" Kurenai bemused, "Because I actually knew Big Sis Kushi pretty well! We were quite close!"

"Really?! What can you tell me about her?!" Naruto asked with sudden excitement.

"Lots of things," Kurenai exclaimed with a grin, "She was a wonderful woman! I never saw her when she was pregnant, and I also remember thinking a few years ago when your parentage was publicized how dense I was to have missed that you were her son. But yeah, she really was like a big sister to so many of the kunoichi of my age group."

Naruto's eyes began to well slightly. He always loved it when someone could tell him more about who his parents were as people, especially those who were close to them while alive! The fact that his fiancée was that close to his mother felt like an unparalleled blessing to him!

"Tell you what, honey…why don't I tell you all about her tomorrow?" Kurenai offered, as it was getting late, and it had already been a long day.

"Err, yeah, okay," Naruto shook his head and blinked his eyes, clearing them of stray tears. He moved to escort Kurenai to the door and off the property, watching as she vanished, teleporting home and leaving behind only a swirl of leaves.

* * *

><p>The next two days had passed by in a flash for Naruto. He couldn't stop asking Kurenai about her relationship with his mother, and what she was like as a person when she knew her. Kurenai was only too happy to tell him what she knew, and she also told him that Kushina would be beyond proud of the man that he had grown up to be…especially with such limited exposure to real role-models while having to raise himself.<p>

Many of the stories Kurenai told him about Kushina were endearing, such as when she would continually encourage the girl to continue to train and work hard. Apparently, Kurenai had taken a good while longer to reach chunin than her peers had, which she had found to be rather discouraging. Kushina had become Kurenai's example to follow and the sisterly/motherly support she needed as a young girl.

There were humorous stories as well, such as when Asuma Sarutobi, at thirteen, had started smoking and had the nerve to deliberately blow smoke into Kurenai's face. Kushina had seen this, and had chased Asuma across the village, catching him with her chakra chains, and proceeding to beat the boy black and blue until he apologized to Kurenai. Even Old Man Sarutobi didn't have the nerve to try to put a stop to what Kushina had done, and when Biwako, his mother, had been told the situation, she smirked and told him that it served him right! Asuma never blew smoke in Kurenai's, or any other woman's, face, ever again after that incident.

* * *

><p>Naruto spared no expense when he prepared dinner for the Hyuugas and the Sarutobis. Nervous excitement was in the air as they prepared yet another full course banquet. When they had all arrived, they were both pleased to notice that Hinata was now wearing her hair down, though she was still wearing the same figure-hugging cheongsam dress that was her standard attire nowadays. She was also smiling, though it wasn't as wide as it used to be – it was as though smiling hurt her face, and it just wasn't as easy to do. They were just glad that her smile was genuine, even if her facial muscles weren't used to the expression anymore.<p>

Dinner with Hinata, Hiashi and the Sarutobis was a heartwarming affair, both to Naruto and Kurenai and to their guests. Hinata had become somewhat like her old self, though without the stutter and the timidity. Some of the coldness in her eyes and her manner remained, however, showing that the last several years had indeed left their mark upon her. She would likely never be as warm as she used to be, and there wasn't much anyone could really do about it now. Naruto and Kurenai could both see that she was trying very hard to be warm, out of a genuine desire to be, and they were simply glad for that.

After dinner, Hinata gathered everyone's attention, "May I have everyone's attention for a few moments, please?"

All talking stopped as the other five people at the dinner table gave Hinata their undivided attention.

"I owe…" Hinata began, bowing her head pausing briefly, "…all of you…so many apologies for my actions and my behavior over the years."

"Hinata, please, you don't need to apologi…" Hiashi began before Hinata interrupted.

"I do, Lord Hiash…err, I mean…Father. Please allow me to speak?"

Hiashi's eyes began to water ever so slightly as she called him 'Father' for the first time in three years. With a tearful smile, he nodded, "Very well. Please forgive my interruption."

Hinata smiled somewhat sadly at him before continuing, turning her attention to her younger sister, "Hanabi…I'm truly sorry for…putting you in your condition. Please, forgive me."

Hanabi didn't even think! She jumped out of her chair and charged Hinata, causing Hinata to recoil slightly at her unexpected act. Before Hinata realized what was happening, Hanabi had wrapped her arms around her older sister's body and was sobbing into her chest. Hinata couldn't hold back the tears coming forth from her own eyes, nor could she keep her arms from wrapping around her younger sister's form and holding her tightly and warmly.

"I do forgive you, Hinata! Can you forgive me?!" Hanabi sobbed out.

"Yes, I can…and I do," Hinata managed to get out, though quieter than Hanabi had.

Hiashi, in an uncharacteristic moment, also left his own seat and wrapped his arms around both his daughters, weeping with joy himself as he expressed his own regrets to his daughters, "I'm so sorry as well…to both of you! Hinata, forgive me for being so cruel and cowardly to you! Hanabi, forgive me for leading you astray as a child! I should have loved you both, and made sure that you both loved each other! Please…forgive me!"

Hinata and Hanabi both wrapped an arm around their father, embracing each other together, showing themselves, quite possibly for the first time ever, to be a true family. Naruto, Kurenai and Konohamaru just sat back and quietly watched as the broken Hyuuga Main Family had just taken its biggest steps in mending itself and healing.

"I forgive you, Father!" Hinata was the first to respond, "Can you forgive me for spurning all of your attempts to try to make amends with me since…the duel?"

"I forgave you the moment it happened every single time! I'm just glad that you're still willing to give an old fool like me a chance to make things right by you," he told her joyfully through his tears.

"I forgive you, as well, Father!" Hanabi cried out, "I'm just glad that we can all finally be a real family!"

They spent several minutes simply crying with each other, letting their heartaches at their past sins against each other out…and also letting them go. After they all separated, Hinata continued with her apologies.

She turned to Konohamaru, "Konohamaru, I haven't necessarily wronged you directly, but…please forgive me for what I've done to your wife these past several years, and please forgive the coldness with which I've regarded you."

Konohamaru smiled and stood up, wrapping Hinata in an embrace of his own, "I do forgive you, and I'm glad to finally have the big sister I've always wanted."

Hinata laughed warmly in response before Konohamaru let her go and returned to his seat.

"Kurenai-sensei," Hinata addressed her former teacher, "I'm so sorry I cut you out of my life the way I did, especially in light of all you've done for me over the years. I was selfish and ungrateful. Please forgive me."

Kurenai smiled and hugged Hinata, "I do forgive you; I'm just glad to have my Hinata back."

The two separated before Hinata turned to Naruto. She began to speak, but hesitated, tears anew coming to her eyes as she found herself unable to utter a word. She sniffled, sobs beginning to force their way out of her throat, before she just gave up on trying to speak. She ran at Naruto, who was still seated, flung herself into him, threw her arms around his neck and sobbed and wailed uncontrollably into his chest.

Naruto understood. She finally realized what she had done to him and what she'd put him through. She felt so terrible about it that it robbed her of her ability to express it to him! All she could say to him, over and over again was, "I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry," with the occasional plea for forgiveness from him.

Naruto wrapped his own arms around the heaving, sobbing woman. He closed his eyes and kissed her scalp before laying his cheek on it, making gentle shushing sounds and whispering words of comfort and reassurance to her, letting her know that he forgave her completely. He expressed his own regrets to her about his own actions, and asked for forgiveness as well. She told him that he did nothing wrong, and that she now understood why he broke off their relationship. She also knew that it was ultimately for the best, and she expressed that to him as well.

After this, Naruto brought them all down into his music studio and gave them a performance: a mix of various pieces, some jazzy, some a little harder-hitting; he included "Do Something" and "Kindred Spirits" in his line-up, providing them all with ample entertainment before wrapping everything up and calling it a night. Once they all said their goodbyes, Kurenai and Naruto watched a much happier Hyuuga family leave for home at a pleasant stroll, talking and laughing with each other as they left.

"I'm so glad tonight happened…" Kurenai mused to Naruto as they stood on his front porch, "…they all needed this; Hinata most of all."

"Yeah," Naruto whispered back wistfully, "I am, too, Baby. I am, too."

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it: the final climax between Kurenai, Mei and Tsunade! I know it was a long, LONG time coming, and I can only hope that it was worth the wait! Updates will not take anywhere near as long from here forward, I assure you! Please let me know how I did with the fight – again, such scenes don't come naturally to me, so I really have to work hard at them to try to produce quality work, so your reviews are invaluable. Did you love it? Did you hate it? Is there anything I can do to make them better? Please review and let me know!<strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**This chapter is mostly filler. The final scene at the end was planned from the start, but I'm not sure how well I pulled it off. I have to admit that I wasn't as happy with this chapter as I thought I'd be (of course, that may just be me being overly critical of my own work, but still…). I'm glad and thankful that you've all stuck it out with me as long as you have up to now.**

**For those wondering, "The Gateway to the Soul" is getting an update soon! I know that many of you have been waiting for that, and I do want to tell you that it's in the works. I'm hoping to have it completed within the next two to three months (I'd like to do it sooner, but I'm trying hard, guys – please be patient with me).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own Sekirei, Fair Tail, or any references to said works thereof.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 17: So What Happens Until the Wedding?<strong>

* * *

><p>It had only been the night before last that Naruto and Kurenai had hosted the Hyuugas and the Sarutobis. These last three and a half days had been a whirlwind of activity for Naruto and Kurenai, even though they weren't involved directly in the events surrounding them. It was currently four o'clock on the morning of October Fourth, and the two of them were sitting in the lobby of Konoha Hospital's maternity ward with a patient Hiashi, an excited Hinata and a rather distraught Neji.<p>

Tenten had gone into labor over nine hours ago. Hiashi had to constantly reassure his nephew that no news was good news – Tenten would be alright. Neji, of course, couldn't help but worry over the condition of his wife and first child. It was made worse that Tenten didn't want Neji in the birthing room to watch.

Naruto leaned over to Kurenai and asked quietly, "You're not going to make me wait out here when you give birth, are you?"

Kurenai smiled at him reassuringly, "No, dear, I will not. I'll want you in there to love me through the pain, I'm sure."

"Good," Naruto responded before looking over at Neji with mild concern, "But I think it's really bothering him that she doesn't want him in there. I'm not sure what she's thinking, but the two of them are going to need to talk when they get a chance."

Kurenai looked over at Neji, and as she studied him, she could see what Naruto was saying, "I wish I could say that you're making too big of a deal about this, but…I think you're right. She might not think it's a big deal, but I can see that he does."

"Well, he's being denied the chance to watch his first child be born. I can't imagine how I would feel in his position."

Kurenai once again gave her fiancé a warm and reassuring smile, "I promise that you'll never have to worry about that."

Naruto smiled, "Thanks, baby."

Before long, a midwife came into the lobby and approached Neji. All of them stood up in eager anticipation of the news.

The midwife began, "I'm just here to give you an update. The baby is currently dropped, but it isn't moving at the moment. We have a brief reprieve. Tenten's just fine; she's asleep. We'll wake her in about an hour and continue working to get this baby born, okay?"

Neji looked relieved at this. He might not be able to be in there with her, but at least she was okay. Before the midwife could leave, Kurenai was quick to stop her.

"Excuse me, but when you do wake her up, could you bring me back there so that I might speak to her, please? It's important," she insisted.

"Well, it's not normal hospital procedure…" the midwife began before Kurenai began to emit her horrible purple miasma, producing her horrifying hannya mask.

With a sickeningly sweet closed-eye smile, she interrupted the midwife, "…but that won't be a problem…right?"

* * *

><p>Tenten awoke after her sedation had worn off. She had recovered a little strength, and was now ready to push this baby out. Once she thought about the baby, she noticed the pain in her abdomen and her womb was returning to her. She looked around for her husband on impulse, but then remembered that she didn't want him in here. It was his fault that she was in this bed and looked like a beached whale, after all! She didn't want him to see her like this! Hell, she didn't want anyone to see her like this!<p>

A few moments later, the midwife that had been helping her came back in, followed by Kurenai. She was about to yell at Kurenai to leave until she saw the dark, ominous murky purple aura spreading behind her. Moments later, the most horrifying hannya mask that Tenten had ever seen suddenly appeared out of nowhere, crying tears of blood, dripping spit and blood from its mouth and hissing at her.

"Hello, Tenten…" Kurenai said in a terrifyingly sweet tone as her eyes glowed a solid bright red.

Tenten screamed in horror.

* * *

><p>Neji, upon hearing his wife's scream, bolted out of his seat and ran towards the room that Tenten was in. He stopped when he saw Kurenai walking past him with a satisfied smile.<p>

"She'd like you in the room, now," she told him plainly as she walked past him, her face in a contented expression as though all was right with the world.

Neji just stared at her as she walked off, wondering just what exactly happened before shaking his head and running once more to Tenten's birthing room. When he got there, he saw a terrified Tenten, her mouth open in a silent scream as tears flooded their way down her cheeks. Moments later, Neji was at her bedside and she was clutching to him for dear life, incessantly apologizing to him and begging him to not leave her side.

'_Thank you, Kurenai,_' he thought to himself as he allowed himself a small smile.

* * *

><p>"I don't want to know, do I?" Naruto asked his fiancée.<p>

"You really don't," Kurenai answered him knowingly, "Just know that given how stubborn Tenten is, it was necessary."

"Oh, I don't doubt that."

* * *

><p>Natsumo Hyuuga weighed eight pounds, four ounces when Tenten finally gave birth at nine twenty-seven that morning. He had a pair of Byakugan eyes that were almost as brilliant as Hinata's. Neji was overjoyed at being able to watch his son being born, and was the happiest and proudest that anyone had ever seen him. Tenten found herself profoundly grateful to Kurenai for giving her the tough love that she needed, as she could now see that if she had made Neji miss the birth of his son, she would have regretted it for the rest of her life, and it might have even changed their relationship in a very bad way.<p>

After allowing the new parents a few hours alone together, the others joined them, Konohamaru and Hanabi having joined Naruto and the others just after seven. All of them cooed over the baby, smothering him. He didn't seem to mind, though. Tenten and Neji were just glad that he was finally here. Tenten had been looking forward to getting back to training, but now that Natsumo was here, training was the last thing on her mind. She just wanted to mother her son and fuss over him every second of every day.

Shortly afterwards, the others left. Naruto and Kurenai took some time to walk around the village, both of them exhausted, but still too happy about the day's events to even try sleeping. They made their way to one of Konoha's parks and strolled through it hand in hand.

"You know, Honey," Kurenai began with a tear in her eye, "Being a part of that today made me very excited about our future together. I mean, did you see how happy they were?"

"Yeah, I did," Naruto replied softly, "I can only imagine how great it'll be when our first child is born."

"Yeah…but I think it'll have a different meaning for us, and it might mean that much more."

"That's true, considering we both lost our first children."

Kurenai sighed with a sad smile, happy to think about the future, but still feeling the sting of losing her unborn son. Naruto, knowing exactly what she was feeling, let go of her hand and brought his arm around her shoulder, guiding her to a bench. Both of them sat down, and Kurenai began to cry softly and silently. Naruto pulled her into his chest and let her weep silently to herself, allowing a few tears of his own to leak out as he mourned once more for his own lost child as the two shared their moment of mutual grief.

* * *

><p>The Tenth of October was here. It was a day that usually found Naruto alone in his house. His friends understood – they knew that his birthday was never a happy event growing up. There was, of course, one person who was always welcome in his life, no matter the day. That one person, the one great love of his life, was with him in his home at that moment, having arrived just after one o'clock.<p>

Kurenai had brought him a gift – she had commissioned a wood-carved plaque, embedded in which was a very precise likeness of the two of them, gazing at each other lovingly. Below the carved image was a metal plate that was etched with the words:

**The Uzumaki-Namikaze Family  
><strong>**Forged through Shared Pain,  
><strong>**Built on Shared Love****  
><strong>

Naruto was touched beyond words at Kurenai's gift to him. After kissing her strongly and passionately, he wasted no time in getting a drill and some screws. He went to his front door and screwed the plaque on, perfectly centered and just above the middle of the door.

Kurenai also unsealed some groceries and told Naruto that she was going to cook for him. Naruto offered to help, and even tried to force his way into his kitchen, but Kurenai would not hear of it. It took her bringing out the hannya mask to get him to stop. Naruto was no longer affected by it the way he had been the first time he saw it, but it was enough to let him know that she would be highly upset if he persisted.

Wanting to be helpful and do something for her, Naruto decided that he would play for her. He made a few shadow clones and got some of his acoustical instruments from the studio downstairs: several guitars, a mandolin, two pan flutes, and his alto and tenor saxophones. He had also set up a couple of speakers that were no doubt connected to his studio. He began to play some lighter pieces for her while she was preparing dinner, bringing a smile to her face as she found her work to be that much more enjoyable.

By seven o'clock, Kurenai had prepared a very aromatic and savory-smelling venison roast that Shikamaru had been kind enough to give her from their clan's herd. Naruto could smell the herbs and seasonings that Kurenai had rubbed over the meat after she had ground the spices and made the paste by hand. On top of that, she had also prepared a delectable lamb stew, which she poured over rice, along with several potato and vegetable dishes.

Once dinner was prepared, Naruto set the table for them and poured them some drinks: water, fruit juice and some shochu that Kurenai had brought with her. Kurenai toasted to Naruto's twenty-first birthday, while Naruto simply toasted to a quiet, intimate night with the woman he loved. Naruto was highly-impressed with the flavor of the food – he knew for a fact that Kurenai was a good cook, but this time, she had outdone herself. Both of them savored every bite, and left the table having eaten a little bit too much. After dinner, they chose to spend the night playing some board games. Within an hour, they were interrupted by the alarm seal at the front gate.

Both of them stopped what they were doing and frowned in surprise, looking at each other before getting up and walking out of the house toward the front gate. Naruto had recently applied a transparency seal to the gate so that he could see who was calling on him without actually opening the gate, and this would be the first time he actually used it outside of testing it. Once he got to the gate, he applied chakra to the seal, and to both his and Kurenai's surprise, there was a crowd of people outside the gate with expectant faces!

Naruto immediately fought down the impulse to believe that these people were here to cause trouble, as had once been the case before he answered somewhat warily through a voice projection seal, "Good evening, what can I do for all of you?"

The man that was seemingly leading this crowd answered him, "Lord Naruto, we err…we're sorry for interrupting your evening, but we…" he paused for a moment as if to consider his words.

Naruto and Kurenai both frowned in confusion at the man's apprehensive tone. They looked around at the crowd outside the gates, seeing all of them looking hopeful yet apprehensive and somewhat nervous.

The man continued, "We know that today's your birthday, and that…it's never really been a happy day for you…" Naruto's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the man's admission, "…but we'd be honored if you could…come with us and allow us to…celebrate it with you?"

His earnest and sincere request caused both Naruto and Kurenai to flinch in surprise. After a few moments, Naruto answered him, "I…don't really know what to say. Could you give me a few minutes, please?"

"Sure. We'll wait right here, is that alright?"

"That's fine. I'll be back in a few minutes," Naruto responded, before deactivating both the transparency seal and the voice projection seal.

After a few seconds, he turned to Kurenai, "Wow…I'm not sure what to make of this."

"Me neither," Kurenai offered thoughtfully before turning once more to Naruto, "I'm not sure I can offer much insight, but I do think the fact that they came to you and asked to celebrate with you is worth something. We can certainly tell that they didn't come here with any bad intentions."

"True enough," Naruto remarked before smiling and responding, "Well, what could it hurt? Let's go!"

Naruto and Kurenai turned back to the front gate to leave the grounds. When the gate opened and the pair walked out hand in hand, the crowd that had assembled cheered and began to surround them, greeting them warmly and extending well wishes to the two of them, and especially to Naruto. Once they were led to the village square, more and more people saw them, and more cheers began to spring forth from those assembled.

The pair were both swept up into the celebrations, Naruto himself finding the welcoming atmosphere of this particular festival to be a novel experience. It wasn't long before Tsunade and Shizune caught wind of Naruto's presence there. Shizune immediately sought him out, intent on bringing him to Tsunade. It didn't take her long to find him and Kurenai, as many of the revelers in Hokage Tower courtyard and outside it had begun to crowd around them, greeting them and celebrating with them. Shizune had broken through the crowd and explained that Tsunade wanted a word with him. They understood, and began to disperse, leaving Shizune, Naruto and Kurenai an avenue by which they could get to the Hokage.

Tsunade didn't even bother asking Naruto anything. Shizune had just brought them to the raised platform where Tsunade would make a speech about the Will of Fire, the strength of the Leaf, and other things that were typical of this day every year. As Naruto was ushered up the stage, Tsunade began to address the crowd.

"Good evening, everyone!" she yelled into the lectern's microphone, as the crowd erupted into loud cheers. Naruto wasn't sure what to make of the situation he now found himself in. Kurenai, sensing his discomfort, took his hand in her own and squeezed reassuringly. Naruto smiled in gratitude at her.

As the cheering and applause died down, Tsunade continued, "For twenty one years now, we've celebrated the survival of the Leaf Village against the attack of the Nine-Tailed Fox – a victory that, as we all know, came at a very high price."

The crowd grew somber and quiet as they reflected on the event in question. Those who had been alive could be seen sighing sadly, a few of them even weeping to themselves as they remembered all they had lost on that day.

Tsunade pressed on, "For years, this day has been a day of celebration and remembrance for this village, though…" Tsunade paused to glance over at Naruto before she continued with her speech, her tone notably sadder, "…not everyone has had the good fortune of being able to celebrate it the way we have. It's rather ironic – the man I'm referring to hasn't been able to celebrate his own birthday because of the stigma that this day has brought with it ever since he was born."

Everyone in the audience was silent, some in reflection, some with their heads down in shame. There were some, however, even in the older generations, who were looking at Naruto with a sense of expectant hope, as though what he thought or maybe had to say was important to them. Naruto and Kurenai both glanced around the crowd from their place on the stage, gauging people's reactions and guessing what they might be thinking and feeling.

"But thankfully," Tsunade spoke up once again, "He never gave up. He never gave up on himself, and he never gave up on us. And he stands before us today – our greatest hero!"

"Happy Birthday, Naruto!" an old man from the crowd shouted. This was followed by many more people shouting out happy birthday wishes to him, accompanied by thunderous applause. Naruto couldn't help but look around in wonder and gratitude – he knew that he had finally won his village over, but despite that, he still found it surreal to be wished a happy birthday by them! Kurenai was shedding tears of admiration for her fiancé, and likewise Tsunade was shedding tears of pride for the man whom she regarded as her son.

"Speech!" someone else shouted from the audience, once more followed by more people wishing to hear him speak.

After a few moments, Tsunade spoke into the microphone, "Well, Naruto, would you like to…maybe say a few words?"

Naruto thought for a moment before nodding with a smile. He approached Tsunade, who offered him the lectern. Once he reached it, he looked out into the crowd, took a few moments to collect his thoughts, and began to speak.

"Wow! I have to admit, this is all a bit…surreal for me at the moment. I had started the day just expecting a nice quiet evening in with my fiancée…" a few chuckles came from the crowd, "…and I have to say that I certainly wasn't expecting a crowd to come to my house and invite us to come celebrate with all of you tonight."

There was a pause as Naruto noticed the crowd was hanging on his every word, most of them with genuine, warm smiles, many awaiting his next sentence with bated breath. He continued, "As many of you know, this day hasn't exactly had a history of…being a happy one for me. Honestly, I…I think this is truly the first 'happy' birthday I've ever had inside the village."

The crowd grew somber and quiet, many wanting to hang their heads in shame, knowing that they had played a part in his misery when he was younger. Naruto managed to spy a familiar shopkeeper who was looking downward in shame and sadness – he immediately remembered that this man had driven him away from his stand because Naruto had been looking for a mask to pull a prank on those Academy kids who were always picking on him in those days.

Shaking off the memory, he continued, "I know that this is supposed to be a celebration, but I find that sober remembrance is good for the soul. With that in mind, I'd like to share about what it is that I remember on this particular day."

There was some apprehension in the crowd as Naruto said this – some of it was the apprehension of hearing him say something meaningful, but he could also sense an undercurrent of fear, as some of them thought that he might talk about how bad things used to be for him as a child on this day.

Naruto smiled and began his story, "Other than right now, there are three birthdays that I can remember that were truly happy ones for me. They all took place when I was on the road with my master, Jiraiya. On all three of those occasions, he always bought me all the ramen I could eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner…" once again, several laughs could be heard in the audience, "…and on all three of those birthdays, he always made it a point to be at a village where he knew a festival would be going on so that I could just celebrate freely."

Everyone seemed touched at Naruto's story. He changed gears and decided to share the adventure that was his second birthday on the road with the man, "We had our funny moments, too. On the day I turned fifteen, he dropped me off at a brothel and tried to buy me a high-class hooker…"

"HE DID WHAT?!" Tsunade yelled at the top of her lungs in righteous fury.

"Relax, mom," Naruto reassured her with his hands raised in a surrendering gesture, "All we did was talk for a while. She could sense I wasn't really ready for that kind of thing, so she just acted more like a hostess."

Upon grimacing slightly at Tsunade's muttered grumble of, "If he wasn't dead, I'd kill him", he turned back to the crowd and continued from where he was interrupted, "Anyway, as it turned out, he dropped me off to give me a good time so he could do some research. About half an hour later, he swung back by that establishment, grabbed me by the collar without a word, and high-tailed it out of the building, and then out of town, pulling me along like a flag blowing in the wind, with a stampede of furious, towel-clad women hot on our tail!"

This brought a loud round of laughs from almost everyone there. Naruto heard Tsunade mumble, "Served the pervert right," underneath the laughter. He waited for the amusement to die down before he continued his speech.

"But it was a year later, when I turned sixteen, just a few short weeks before we were supposed to return to the village, that he gave me the most meaningful birthday present I'd ever received…" he paused for a moment as he remembered the precious gift his master had imparted to him while the crowd waited with baited breath for him to finish his tale, "…he gave me an autographed copy of the very first book he ever wrote - 'The Legend of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi'. It was the only book he ever wrote that wasn't pornographic, and it's the only one that didn't sell well."

He caught his breath and paused for a few seconds before picking back up, "It's really a shame, too, because it's the best book he ever wrote. I later learned that my father named me after the main character of that story – Naruto. It was about a ninja who never gave up and kept his hope alive, fighting for what he believed in, even when nobody was there to believe in him. If any of you haven't read it, I'd recommend picking up a copy, because it's an excellent read. But even more than that, it was about Jiraiya's continued dream to find out what real peace in the world was. It was a dream he entrusted to me – I hope I can make that dream come true one day."

Naruto smiled before finishing, "These are the things I remember on this day – the things that are precious and important to me. And they're the things that have made my birthday meaningful, because they're the things that have given my life itself meaning. Whatever this day brings to you, I hope that they do have real meaning. My father gave his life so that all of us could live. My mother gave hers so that I could live. And so many others gave their lives, both on that day and since then, so that we can continue living and enjoying every second that Kami gives us the good fortune to experience. If we remember anything, let's remember that, because that's something truly worth celebrating!"

He was met once more with thunderous applause. He looked out over the audience, and saw many of them had been moved to tears by his words. A tearful Tsunade came up to him, kissed him on the cheek and embraced him warmly. Shizune did the same, even more tearful than her master. Kurenai then came up and gave him a firm but chaste kiss right on his lips, pulling away with a loving smile while tears were rolling down her cheeks as well.

The rest of the night was taken up with people coming up to Naruto and Kurenai, just spending a few minutes here and there talking with him while wishing him a happy birthday and expressing their gratitude for his gracious words to them and for his presence. It had been as though a weight had been lifted from the village as a whole. Many of them expressed sentiments of somehow feeling forgiven – those who had once been guilty of mistreating Naruto seemed able to put their guilt behind them. Even though Naruto had forgiven them all long ago, it was a good feeling to see them respond to his forgiveness.

As the night came to a close, Naruto walked Kurenai home before leaving for his own home, smiling over the events of the evening and eagerly looking forward to the upcoming day of his nuptials!

* * *

><p>The last two months had been a whirlwind of activity, as there had been much to do to get the details of the wedding finalized! Naruto made sure to inform Shin and Shijimi that he wanted the Yamanaka Flower Shop to be commissioned for the floral arrangements, and that he wanted Ichiraku Ramen and the Akimichi Barbecue Pit to cater the reception. The arrangements had all been successfully implemented, and despite the fact that they were both wildly excited about getting married, Naruto and Kurenai had both been more than a little frazzled by the whole ordeal.<p>

There had been a single change to the wedding party in mid-November. Tenten needed someone to take care of young Natsumo while she attended Kurenai. This had brought about an interesting dilemma, until Hanabi presented what was probably the best solution: Hinata should take her place as a bridesmaid, while Hanabi could look after Natsumo from the comfort of her wheelchair and not have to worry about losing her equilibrium and falling over in the middle of the ceremony. She also reasoned that it should be Hinata attending her, as her older sister had much more history with Kurenai than she did. Kurenai smiled at this suggestion and thanked Hanabi for her humility in allowing her to give the honor of being a bridesmaid to the most fitting woman – her surrogate little sister/daughter.

It was the night of November Thirtieth, the eve of their wedding. They were in Naruto's home, now, having just returned from the rehearsal. It was late, and both of them were so exhausted and excited at the same time that they knew they wouldn't be able to sleep for a while. It was agreed that Kurenai would stay the night there before heading over to Hokage Tower in the morning to get ready for her wedding.

They had both waited this long; refraining from sexual intimacy for one more night wouldn't be that hard to do. Naruto had his promise to himself, which was more than enough of a deterrent for him. Kurenai knew that waiting until after the wedding when Naruto could give himself to her with a clean conscience would make it that much more satisfying for both of them, as well as keep unwelcome problems out of their bed.

They were both sitting in the living room and relaxing with drinks. It was a comfortable silence, both of them having absolutely no doubts at all about tomorrow. They were content. After a while, Naruto found himself in a reflective frame of mind, bringing him to voice his thoughts to Kurenai.

"What a wild year it's been, huh?" Naruto asked with quiet contemplation.

"Yes, it has…" Kurenai responded, "…if someone had told me that you and I would be where we are now at this time last year, I would have either laughed at them or gotten very angry…" she added with a chuckle, "…maybe even a little bit of both."

"Yeah, I can see that," he replied with a laugh of his own, "If someone would have told me that, I…well, I really don't know what I would have thought, to be honest."

"How quickly change can come to us," Kurenai said nostalgically, "And what an incredible journey we've had together up to now. It's been both frightening and fulfilling at the same time, and I'm so…at peace right now. I feel a conviction that this is just…right. You know what I mean, honey?"

"Mm-hmm," he answered with a nod.

A comfortable content silence followed, the two of them just happy to be with each other. Several minutes later, both of them seemed to notice that a lingering melancholy had invaded their silent reflection.

"Baby?" Naruto asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?"

"What are you thinking right now?"

"I was just remembering something. My father once told me that he couldn't wait to see how beautiful I would look as a bride. I guess it just saddens me to know that he won't be able to see it."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Naruto replied with a heavy sigh, "I'm glad that Mom's with us, but…I was thinking the exact same thing – I wish that Pervy Sage and my real mom and dad could be here with us right now."

"Who says we can't be, Son?" a strange, yet familiar male voice could be heard from behind them.

In surprise, Naruto and Kurenai jumped to their feet and turned their heads to see, to their further surprise and utter shock, Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Akahi Yuhi and Jiraiya all standing there with smiles on their faces! Minato was in his signature outfit, Kushina was in the yellow blouse and green overdress that he remembered meeting her in, Akahi (Naruto knew it had to be him by his red eyes that he shared with Kurenai) was wearing a standard Leaf Jounin outfit, and Jiraiya was in his signature grey gi with red overcoat and horned forehead protector, though he was only sporting one arm. The question had come from the blond former Hokage.

"What the-?" Naruto asked, before sputtering off, his shock at what he was seeing overwhelming him. He immediately began to use his genjutsu countering skills to try to determine if foreign chakra had invaded his body, but was interrupted by his fiancee's voice.

"You're not seeing things, honey. I see them, too," Kurenai told him, the shock quite evident in her own tone.

"What the-" Naruto began again, "What's…what's going on?"

"Hi, son," Kushina spoke up this time somewhat nervously, "Before anything else, I assure you this isn't a trick, and I can prove it. Do you remember when you were first born, and before I was pulled into your seal, I gave you all of that advice, or when I helped you to defeat the Nine-Tails and claim its chakra for your own? Or, err…Ku-Ku," Kushina immediately turned to Kurenai, "How about the time…"

"My Kami, it really is you!" Kurenai interrupted her, running at her tearfully and nearly tackling the redhead standing before them to the floor as she wrapped her arms around the woman, "Only Big Sis Kushi called me Ku-Ku!"

Naruto blinked several times and shook his head. Kurenai was still weeping as she fiercely hugged his mother, while the other three simply stood there with warm smiles on their faces waiting for Naruto to make the first move. After a few moments, Kurenai moved on from Kushina to hug her father just as forcefully as she had hugged Kushina.

"But…how?" Naruto finally asked.

"Well, kid, you'd best met me explain that one," Jiraiya began, "You see, when you defeated Madara and Sasuke, you saved the Shinigami a lot of grief. Essentially, he felt as though he was in your debt, and let me tell ya, he doesn't like that feeling one bit…" he paused with a laugh, both Minato and Akahi nodding in agreement and chuckling with the former Toad Sage before he finished, "So…to absolve the debt he felt he owed you, he called in a few favors and allowed some of us a few hours with the two of you tonight."

"Huh? Wha-?" Naruto began before tears of his own began to spill and he found himself involuntarily walking over to them, crying out tearfully, "Mom! Dad! Pervy Sage!"

Kushina was the first to intercept him, pulling him to her in a loving, motherly embrace, kissing him on his cheek as she held the back of his head to the crook of her neck, a task she found rather difficult as he towered over her by at least a good nine inches.

"My wonderful Naruto, it's so good to see you," she greeted him tearfully, to which he wrapped his arms around her even more firmly, "And especially at this particular time in your life!"

Minato and Jiraiya made their way to either side of the hugging mother and son, with Minato hugging them both, and Jiraiya putting his hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto and Kushina both included Minato in their hug as well. Kushina pulled out of her embrace and held Naruto at arms' length as if to get a better look at him. With a tearful smile, she added, "It's amazing to see how handsome you've become, son. And you're…" she glanced up to the top of his head, "…so tall, as well!"

"Yeah, kid!" Jiraiya added, causing Naruto to turn to him and realize that he was actually looking slightly downward at his master, who he remembered being a very big man, "You're taller than I am, now!"

Naruto just grinned sheepishly before giving Jiraiya a fierce bear/man hug, Jiraiya returning the gesture with his one arm before offering more quietly, "I can't tell you just how proud I am of you, kid. Getting appointed as Hokage in a month, and getting married tomorrow – and to Kurenai Yuhi, of all people! Nice, Naruto…" he finished with a wink, a knowing smirk and a soft supportive elbow jab to his midsection.

"Yeah, we were just talking about that, actually," Naruto admitted with a raised eyebrow and a wry smile.

"Son, we're all real proud of you," Minato interjected, bringing Naruto's attention to his father. Naruto noted that he had to look down a good four inches or so to look him in the eye.

Minato continued, "You've done so well for yourself. You've become a far better and far more powerful shinobi than I could have ever been – even the First Hokage's power paled by comparison to yours. And on top of that, you've even trained Kurenai here so well that I think the best I could hope for against her in a fight would be a draw! You've become the hero that this world needed, and still needs."

Naruto, at the mention of Kurenai's name, looked in her and her father's direction. The two of them had broken their embrace and were now approaching the group. Kurenai walked a couple steps forward from her father as if to be evaluated by Naruto's loved ones.

Kushina spoke first, "Ku-ku, when you were a girl, you were quite pretty. But to see what a raving beauty you've blossomed into? When Naruto was first born, I told him that I wanted him to marry a girl like his mother," she finished with a laugh, "But I'm truly glad he's marrying you instead!"

Kurenai couldn't help but laugh with the woman before she continued, "I never imagined that Naruto would marry someone who was a teenager when he was born. I know a few things about this generation of kunoichi from my chakra that was placed in Naruto's seal when the Nine-Tails was sealed into him…"

Naruto interrupted his mother with a patient smile, "Actually, his name's Kurama, Mom. I haven't heard from him in quite a while, but he and I are actually friends, so I would appreciate it if you would use his name."

"Oh, err…sorry. Well, anyway…" Kushina returned her attention to Kurenai, "…but when I helped Naruto fight Kurama for control of his chakra, I learned just how many of this generation's kunoichi were raving fangirls to that god-awful Sasuke character. But I'm glad that my boy didn't get a fangirl; he got himself a real kunoichi who has every right to stand proud and tall on her own merits! So you be sure to give me lots of grandkids, okay?"

"I will, Kushi. And Naruto and I will raise them all to be great people," Kurenai answered, hugging the woman.

Minato stepped forward after Kushina stepped back and began with a warm smile, "Welcome to our family, Kurenai. I'm also very happy that it's you that Naruto's marrying tomorrow. I don't really know what else to say beyond that except, err…listen to Naruto's motor-mouth mother?"

"HEY!" Kushina cried out indignantly before slamming her fist into Minato's head. The resounding thunk on the top of Minato's skull made Naruto, Jiraiya and Akahi cringe, while Kurenai couldn't help the satisfied smirk that emerged on her face, which promptly disappeared the moment Minato's gaze returned to her.

Minato rubbed his head with an embarrassed chuckle and continued, "Guess I deserved that, huh?"

"Yes, sir, you did," Kurenai told him without shame. Naruto let out a chuckle of his own at his father's predicament while silently thanking Kami that Kurenai wasn't like his mother, at least in that regard.

Another voice made itself known in the room, "And I guess it's now my turn."

Everyone turned to the direction of the new voice to see none other than…Asuma Sarutobi!

"Asuma?!" Kurenai gasped out in shock.

"Asuma-sensei?!" Naruto gasped out at the same time as Kurenai.

"We were wondering what was taking you so long, Asuma," Akahi was the one to speak up this time.

"Well, I had to collect someone that gave me a little trouble. I didn't want to come here without him because I knew Kurenai would want to meet him," Asuma responded before turning behind his legs, "It's okay…why don't you come out and say 'hi' to everyone?"

At that moment, a small boy who was the spitting image of Asuma crawled out from behind him. This boy had one distinguishing feature that made him different – brilliant ruby-colored eyes with a single ring in the iris.

The boy looked up at Kurenai and said, "Hi there…Mom. I'm As-"

"Asumaru?!" Kurenai interrupted, knowing that this little boy could be none other than her lost son! Forgetting everything, and everyone else, in the room, she ran to the little boy and scooped him into her arms, sobbing loudly with overwhelm as she held him to herself.

Everyone else simply smiled at the scene as Kurenai hugged her deceased son for the very first time. Asuma and Akahi both looked at everyone else with inquisitive expressions.

Naruto responded to their unasked question, "We'll all step out back for a while. Just come get us when you're done."

With that Naruto led his parents and master through the sliding back door and out onto his patio, leaving Kurenai and the others to their own special moment.

* * *

><p>Two hours had passed before Kurenai retrieved Naruto and the others. Naruto, Jiraiya and his parents all just talked about everything and anything that came to mind, deciding that the best approach to a special moment like this would be to just go with the flow and be a family. Kurenai spent time playing with Asumaru, as did Asuma and Akahi.<p>

When she came to retrieve Naruto and crew, she was holding Asumaru, seated on her hip. Her face was one of contented ecstasy with an undertone of sadness, knowing that this would be the only time she'd ever be able to see her lost son in this lifetime. Her eyes were still red from crying, but she still looked beautiful to everyone there, especially holding her child the way she was. Naruto smiled at the picture, knowing that Kurenai would make a wonderful mother to their children, as well.

Naruto and the others returned inside, where Akahi and Asuma were both waiting.

"Mommy, can you put me down for a minute, please? Me, Daddy and Gramps gotta talk to Papa Naruto for a minute," Asumaru requested with a look of utter seriousness that made him look too cute in Kurenai's eyes.

"Yes, Sweetie, Mommy can do that, but…" she leaned in and said just above a whisper, "…promise you'll go easy on him, huh? For me? He's very important to Mommy."

Asumaru seemed to think about it for a minute before nodding, "Okay Mommy…but only for you."

Kurenai smiled and kissed Asumaru's cheek before putting him down. Asumaru walked up to Naruto and pulled on his pants leg, prompting Naruto to look down.

"Follow us," Asumaru ordered with a childish stern grimace.

"Yes sir," Naruto responded just as "seriously" as he allowed Asuma, Akahi and Asumaru to lead him outside.

Once they got outside, Asumaru glared at Naruto as sternly as a boy his size could and told him, "You better treat her good, Papa Naruto! I'm trusting you to make Mommy happy, and I'll be really mad if you don't! Got it?!"

"I got it, sir!" Naruto responded in a militaristic fashion, to which Asumaru simply nodded.

Naruto continued, "Permission to speak, sir?"

Asumaru nodded once more, to which Naruto softened and told him, "Don't you worry – I'm going to do all I can and then some to make sure that your mommy is the happiest mommy who ever lived. And we're going to make sure that we give you lots of little brothers and sisters. So you hold the fort until all of us get there so you can watch out for them, okay?"

Asumaru smiled with a nod, "You bet, Papa Naruto! And thanks for making Mommy so happy – it was hard seeing her so sad when she went to daddy's gravesite."

"You're welcome, my man," Naruto replied, offering the boy his fist to bump. Asumaru bumped it with enthusiasm before running back inside to his mother. Naruto walked over to Akahi and Asuma, waiting for what they had to say to him.

Akahi began, "Well, son, I was thinking about giving you the dreaded 'overprotective father' talk, but I know that you would never do anything to hurt my baby girl."

He offered Naruto that proud smile that men were oft known to share with each other, "I know you'll make her happy. I know you'll take good care of her, and I know that you'll love her for the rest of her life. Even though I never got the chance to get to know you, I want you to know that I'm proud of you, son. And you have my blessing to take my daughter as your wife tomorrow," as he finished, he offered his hand to Naruto to shake.

Naruto took the hand offered to him and responded, "Thank you, sir. That really means a lot to me. I will not take that blessing lightly, and I will make sure that you never once regret giving it to me."

Akahi nodded and let go of Naruto's hand, returning inside himself. Naruto was left outside with Asuma, now, and he noted that he stood at an even height with the tall man.

Asuma simply had that same proud manly smile that Akahi gave him, not saying a word. Naruto, not wanting to let this opportunity pass him by, spoke up, "I'm not really sure what to say right now, Asuma-sensei. Of all the jounin senseis from my generation, I felt as though you always treated me with the most respect and gave me the benefit of the doubt more than any of the others did…" he chuckled before continuing, "…even Kurenai, ironically."

Asuma chuckled with him, "Funny how right you are about that, Naruto. Kurenai did look down her nose at you at first, and I think your first Chunin Exam Finals were a real wake-up call for her."

Asuma's smile dropped as he adopted a serious expression, "You know, kid, I've always liked you. I've always seen something special in you. I saw it during the Chunin Exam preliminaries when you fought Kiba, and I saw it again when you fought Neji. I always knew that somehow you'd pull off what other people thought was impossible for you."

He chuckled once more as he continued, "I remember when I was teaching you and that Sora kid how to properly channel wind chakra, and how the two of you just made it a competition to see who could master it faster," his chuckling stopped as he continued, "I remember very well how you handled him…and his hatred. It was because of you that he was able to let it go."

**(BGM: Fairy Tail: The Power of Justice)**

He let out a sigh before adopting a serious persona once more, "I remember when I fought Hidan, and how I ultimately lost my life to him. We knew what they were after, and kid, I want you to know that I have no regrets about giving my life to protect yours. It's because of you that the world is as safe a place as it is. I'm also very grateful…and humbled even…that I was able to teach you something that you were able to use to win the war and keep everyone else alive."

He placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, "Naruto, I'm just as proud of you as everyone else in there is. I'm grateful that Kurenai was finally able to let me go and move on because you came into her life the way you did. And…" he smiled before finishing, "…I'm glad she's found someone who loves her just as much as I did, if not more. I'm happy for her, and I'm just as happy for you, kid."

Naruto smiled, allowing a few stray tears to fall, "Thank you…Asuma. You were one of my teachers, even if only briefly, but I learned some very important things from you. But the most important thing I learned from you is that to truly stand by your word, you've got to be willing to put it all on the line, even if it means certain death. Asumaru's siblings are going to know who you are, Asuma Sarutobi, and I'm going to make certain that they regard you as a hero."

Both of them moved at the same time to give each other a brotherly man-hug. No other words needed to be shared. Each of them had the other's respect as a man, and as men, they both knew that nothing was more important between men than that.

**(end BGM)**

They broke their man-hug when they heard a sniffle. Turning in the direction of the sniffle, they saw both Kushina and Kurenai crying, apparently rather moved by the sentiment shared between the two. Asumaru looked at them with an approving smile, while the other three all had proud manly smiles, while nodding slightly with approval. Both of them slowly stepped back and laughed at having been caught in such a moment.

"Well," Kushina exclaimed with a clap of her hands, "Seeing as we still have a little time, I am going to make all of us my special salt ramen!"

"Oh-ho-ho! Naruto, you're in for a real treat, Son! Kushina's ramen is the best around!" Minato declared with excitement.

"I'm sure it's great, but Teuchi Ichiraku sets a really high bar," Naruto retorted teasingly.

"Oh, it's on, now, Naruto!" Kushina took her son's teasing as a challenge and went into Naruto's kitchen, her eyes burning with determination.

It was an hour later that Kushina came in with a full-size soup pot filled with made-from-scratch ramen, from the noodles to the broth – all of the vegetables and the meats were fresh. Everyone at the table grabbed a bowl and, one at a time, they all ladled some of the delectable-smelling soup into their own bowl. It was quite a meal, to say the least.

Naruto had to admit that his mother's ramen rivaled Teuchi's. Nothing could surpass it in his mind, but he never thought he'd find ramen that was just as good. Kushina used some of the remaining time they had there to copy down some of her ramen recipes so that Naruto would have them and could make them whenever he wanted. Kurenai was just as grateful for those recipes as Naruto was.

They were all just talking once more when the Shinigami suddenly appeared, though not quite as specter-like as Minato remembered. He boomed in a deep voice, "**It's time, everyone.**"

Sadness and melancholy filled the air. Their time was at an end, but the sadness and melancholy were coupled with gratitude and satisfaction. Many things had been achieved, but one thing above all others that was most important to Naruto and Kurenai, and that was closure. Kurenai was able to find closure with Asuma and Asumaru, while Naruto was able to actually say goodbye to Jiraiya.

Akahi once more wished Naruto well and hugged Kurenai before disappearing. Kurenai and Asuma shared a goodbye kiss at the corners of each other's mouths, while Asumaru got a goodbye kiss to his cheek and his forehead, before they both disappeared. Jiraiya just smiled at Naruto before vanishing, knowing that nothing more needed to be said between them.

Minato and Kushina both lingered a moment longer. Minato looked at them with a sad smile and said, "Never go to bed angry with each other, you two. Whatever differences you have, always work them out before going to sleep, or if you can't do that, at least get to a point where you both know that everything's going to be okay."

"Thank you, Lord Fourth. We'll be sure to do that," Kurenai assured him, tears falling from her eyes.

Minato regarded Naruto once more, "I'm proud of you, Son. I always have been, and I've never had anything less than complete faith in you. I can see now that my faith was very well-placed. Live a long, happy life with your bride, Son! And remember that we'll always be watching over you."

Naruto nodded as tears came from his own eyes. He moved forward and embraced his father, who simply hugged him back before they both pulled away and Minato vanished.

Kushina, the last one remaining, looked at Kurenai and said, "You take great care of my baby boy, okay, Ku-Ku? I know he can be as hardheaded and as stubborn as me, but bear with him…" she added mischievously, "…and you be sure to put him in his place and keep him in line when he needs it."

Kurenai laughed as she shed tears of joy. With a smile, she replied, "Don't worry. I know he'll be the best husband ever. But I'll be sure to remember your advice should I ever need it."

The two of them embraced fondly, holding it for a few moments to relish the feeling as they were saying goodbye until the next life. Kushina pulled back and then turned to Naruto before fresh tears and sobs began to make their way up from her throat. Naruto began to shed tears of his own in response.

Kushina just threw herself into his arms and held him tightly, kissing the side of his face before she whispered, "Please don't ever forget how much I love you, Son. You were my greatest joy when you were born, and even knowing that I was going to die, the only thing I could feel was joy, because I was celebrating your birthday. My only regret in life was that I couldn't be there to raise you, to see your first steps, to hear your first word, to be able to teach you how to be a ninja. But I'm so glad to see just how amazing you've become despite having so many disadvantages."

She pulled back and brought a hand to his tear-soaked face, laying it on his cheek, "Your strength of will and character are an inspiration to us all. I'm so incredibly proud of you, and I'm so very grateful for you."

"I love you, Mom," Naruto said with a broken voice, pulling his mother back into a fierce hug as she reciprocated.

"I love you, too, Honey," she replied before letting go of him a few moments later.

As she began to fade, she smiled lovingly at him, waved and said, "Goodbye!"

And then she was gone. Naruto turned to the Shinigami and smiled in gratitude, "Thank you, Lord Shinigami."

"**It is I who should be thanking you, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze,**" the Shinigami responded with a nod, "**It is because of you that the impure and pure worlds have returned to a state of balance. And I must express my own pride in you, lad. Despite the challenges and trials you have faced, you've become a better, stronger and more tempered man as a result. And I bear much of the responsibility in making your childhood as difficult as it was. Giving you such a gift as this night was honestly the least that I could do for you after all that you have done for me.**"

"I'm…" Naruto began, stunned at such a response, "…I'm honored, my Lord. Again, thank you."

The Shinigami simply nodded and waved at him before vanishing himself.

Naruto simply stood there, staring at the space that his parents and deceased loved ones had been occupying moments before. He didn't know what to think or what to say in light of what he just experienced. He was brought out of his dumbfounded shock by the feel of Kurenai's hand on his shoulder.

He turned to her to see her sobbing and smiling. Naruto smiled at her while bringing her into a loving embrace, allowing her to weep into his chest, all the while kissing the top of her head. He knew she was feeling so many things all at once: joy, happiness, sadness, grief, loss, gratitude, closure, relief – overwhelm. Naruto just let her cry, standing there and holding her, whispering sweet words of comfort and love to her.

Tonight, they would sleep well, and tomorrow would be the beginning of their grandest adventure yet: the start of their new life together.

* * *

><p><strong>No, this is not the end of the story. There are still a few other things that need to happen, first, but we're getting close! As always, I would love your feedback and opinions, so please review.<strong>


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